LOL Karen! She probably *paid extra!*

Only Amanda, Oliver James, another kiddie kast member, and Dennie Gordon were at the NY Premiere; I've been supplying pics to Robair. ;-)

another kiddie kast member The guy who played Armistead.

Essentially, a so-so review, but one with the best writeup on Colin. From the Fort Worth Weekly: Bynes of the Times What a Girl Wants is a nice coming-out party, but its star deserves better. By Kristian Lin Amanda Bynes has big, saucer-shaped eyes, a naturally vivacious personality, and considerable gifts for physical comedy and vocal impersonations. For the past several years, she has shone on cable tv shows and in a supporting role in last year's Big Fat Liar. It doesn't seem premature at all that she has now earned her first lead role in What a Girl Wants, a movie that allows her quite a few opportunities to flash the qualities that have made her a star. Bynes plays Daphne Reynolds, a salt-of-the-earth New Yorker who grows up listening to her mom (Kelly Preston) tell the story of falling in love with the handsome English Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth) while backpacking through the North African desert. When his uptight family rejected her, she returned to America and had Daphne without telling him about his child. Wanting to know her father after all this time, Daphne packs up after she turns 17 and heads to London on her own. Her father takes her in after getting over his initial surprise. However, Daphne's tendency to get into bad public situations endangers his burgeoning political career. The credits claim that this movie is based on The Reluctant Debutante (a pleasant 1958 comedy starring Rex Harrison and the incredibly cool, tragically short-lived Kay Kendall), but the resemblances are hard to come by. The film would have been better off concentrating on the father and daughter getting to know each other. Instead it tries to do too much. There are subplots about Lord Henry's political career (na�ve), his relationship with his snobbish fianc�e and her spoiled daughter (overdrawn), and Daphne's romance with a sensitive musician (limp). Though director Dennie Gordon fights to maintain the energy level, the movie loses too much steam as it winds to its conclusion. *****Still, that can't kill off the good will generated by Bynes and Colin Firth. The essentially glum English actor continually finds his way into comedies that mine his glumness for humor. Previous films have made him a straitlaced foil for looser actors such as Hugh Grant (Bridget Jones's Diary) and Rupert Everett (The Importance of Being Earnest), which he does pretty well. He's given more to do here, and he responds, flashing anger and betrayal at the people who kept his daughter's existence from him, and suggesting a hip guy underneath the lordly exterior. Many actors faced with the challenge of playing second fiddle to a 17-year-old would have phoned it in; Firth gives a performance that's as real as the script allows him to be. Bynes gets plenty to do as well, including a funny dance number at the beginning and several pratfalls, which she takes skillfully. Sadly, she's not as good with the big heartfelt speeches that the movie gives her. The speeches themselves aren't so much of a problem, but they indicate that the film isn't satisfied with the genuine cuteness of its star and wants to make her into the kind of actress that she isn't at this point in her career. What a Girl Wants is supposedly about being true to yourself. It should have taken its own advice when it came to its leading lady. http://www.fwweekly.com/issues/2003-04-03/film2.html

Dorine, thanks so much for the Gotham article! I agree with others - I enjoyed your comments as much as the article. It was an unusually good set of questions. And he had me giggling over this comment - I can just imagine the deadpan delivery: I don�t mind it really, being typecast as British. When you are British, it doesn�t feel like being typecast at all.

I was just googling for news and found an odd reference to a movie *our* CF was supposedly in. Clearly they meant the "anti-CF" (Photo caption) Crisis situation. Forest Whitaker and Colin Firth (inside the phone booth) star in �Phone Booth,� about a man who is held on the phone by a sniper. http://www.dailytrojan.com/article.do?issue=/V148/N47&id=03-dorect.47d.html

Many actors faced with the challenge of playing second fiddle to a 17-year-old would have phoned it in; Firth gives a performance that's as real as the script allows him to be. I'll take this! Again, never the weak link (you would hope not in a cast with so many teenagers) and always spot on! Won't lead to that amazing dramatic role in the future, but I don't think it will hurt his career either (hey, at least it's not Boat Trip, right?). I enjoyed it and I guess that is what matters....enjoyed it so much that tomorrow is a day off in honor of my second viewing...going to the early show! And thanks Karen...you've been a mad 'review poster'....I know we all appreciate all the hard work!

v.bad review by a not a pimply-faced online review, though he did get Dennie Gordon's gender wrong as I've been noticing others have as well. By James Berardinelli: Forget Halloween. Forget The Shining. Forget The Exorcist and The Ring. The movie to truly horrify a grown man is What a Girl Wants, a motion picture that only a female (preferably between the ages of 8 and 16) could love. This goes beyond the term "chick flick" to something more estrogen-driven than a romantic comedy. It's a variation of the Cinderella fairy tale that knows its target audience. Pre-teen and teenage girls (and maybe a few older women) will adore this motion picture. They will identify with the main character as a fantasy object, sigh over older hunk Colin Firth and younger hunk Oliver James, and hiss and spit at wicked, nasty Anna Chancellor. In fact, the only thing surprising about What a Girl Wants is that it's not from Disney, the company that foisted the oh-too-similar Princess Diaries upon us. Predictable, giddy movies with contrived plot devices and relentlessly upbeat endings are not my kind of thing. I don't like films where I'm always at least two steps ahead of the screenwriter and three ahead of the characters. It is possible to construct a modern-day fairy tale with a smart script (try Drew Barrymore's Ever After, if you don't believe me), but that would take more effort than what has occurred here � slapping together a bunch of tried-and-true elements and throwing them up on the screen. I didn't hate What a Girl Wants, but there were plenty of times when I found myself wishing it would have the gumption to be more than it is. The 100 minutes go by effortlessly, although they aren't spent profitably. Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Bynes) is a typical 16-year old teenage girl being raised by a single parent, Libby (Kelly Preston). She has never met her father because he doesn't know about her. 17 years ago, Libby met Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), in Morocco, where they were married in a desert ceremony. But the marriage fell apart when Henry returned to England and his stuck-up friends and advisors urged Libby to go home. Now, nearly two decades later, Daphne tracks down her father and shows up unannounced in his back garden, upsetting his life, his bid for a seat in Parliament, and his prospective marriage to the haughty Glynnis (Anna Chancellor). Aside from Henry, the only one delighted to meet Daphne is her grandmother (Eileen Atkins). Thus begins a tug-of-war, as Daphne and Henry work to change one another. She tries to loosen him up; he tries to teach her decorum. Along the way, she also finds time to fall in love with Ian (Oliver James), a local musician. Lead actress Amanda Bynes is perky and energetic, and does a good job when the screenplay doesn't require much in the way of emotional range or depth. After a while, however, the non-stop cheerfulness and high-wattage smile begin to wear on one's nerves. Colin Firth does his best not to appear constantly embarrassed, which is something of a challenge, especially when he's put in the position of having to try on tight leather pants. Kelly Preston is relaxed and in her element. This is the kind of role she can play without trying. Both Anna Chancellor, as the wicked stepmother type, and Jonathan Pryce, as her father, look constantly constipated. What a Girl Wants is not only the victim of mediocre writing, it is hamstrung by amateurish camerawork. Director Dennie Gordon only has one feature on his resume (Joe Dirt), and his lack of skill is apparent. He is overly fond of close-ups (probably as a result of his numerous television credits) and many of his shots are static and composed with a 1.33:1 aspect ratio in mind (despite the fact that the movie is projected at 2:35:1). The result is a movie whose flat look seems strangely appropriate for its lightweight story. This is a throwaway TV movie packaged for a theatrical release. Anyone not in the target demographic is advised to give it a wide berth. http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/w/what_girl.html

Here is a gallery of the images from the NYC premiere from Wire Image http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls===25201

This group from Wire Image shows Amanda and Oliver James presenting memorabilia to Planet Hollywood. Interesting that the peace/victory sign poster is the one shown. http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls===25232

Thanks, Dorine, for the great interview. And to everyone for reviews, photos, etc. Here's a small find from The Edmonton Sun. There's no real Colin info, but I'd love to see the home videos she made. http://www.canoe.ca/EdmontonExpress/es.es-04-03-0080.html Modern Cinderella tale for teens What a Girl Wants star grows up By LOUIS B. HOBSON, CALGARY SUN Girls just wanna have fun and that goes for celebrities like Amanda Bynes. Bynes, 16, has been a TV star since she was 10 - yet she insists her life has been fairly normal. She first began appearing on the Nickelodeon kids' show All That in 1996. Three years later she had her own Nickelodeon series, The Amanda Show. Last year she began filming her first TV sitcom, What I Like About You, for the WB network. Between these series, Bynes managed to star opposite Frankie Muniz in the 2002 comedy Big Fat Liar, and on Friday she opens as the star of the comedy What a Girl Wants. "I don't think I've missed out on my youth. Even when I was doing my TV shows I managed to attend classes at a regular school for at least half of each year. "I have a lot of friends but I also have my career so I really do have the best of both worlds," says Bynes. Her world expanded significantly when she agreed to star in What a Girl Wants, where she plays an American girl who goes to England in search of her birth father, played by Colin Firth. The film was shot in and around London. It was Bynes's first trip abroad but, even more importantly, it was her first time on her own. Her parents stayed in California. "As soon as I got off the plane and into the car and realized they drive on the opposite side of the road I felt so weird. I got a headache just trying to take it all in. "It was so incredible to be walking around Picadilly by myself and meeting all the cool people on our British crew. "I've been so protected in my little Nickelodeon bubble and on my American TV shows and on Big Fat Liar." Bynes had brought her video camera so she could share moments with friends and family once the shoot was over. "I was videotaping all the time. England is so beautiful and it's so rich in history. It was so much fun being there." In the film, Bynes's character Daphne Reynolds causes quite a stir with her father's upper-class friends and associates because she is so different. "England and America are not nearly as different as we portray it in the film. We just magnify some of the obvious differences to get laughs. "In real life, kids my age like pretty much the same music and they dress the same. I didn't really stand out like Daphne does when she goes places in the movie." Daphne's big transformation occurs when she attends garden parties, formal affairs and parties. True to the Cinderella tale this is, the girl who exclusively wears jeans, T-shirts, clogs and sweats suddenly appears in magnificent designer gowns. "At first I really wanted to keep the white gown I wear at Daphne's coming-out ball. I thought if I got married one day it would be a big help." By the time she had finished shooting that extended sequence, Byne had changed her mind. "I had to wear that dress for so long and it was so tight it gave me bruises, so I didn't even want to look at it anymore let alone keep it." Bynes says she hopes her romantic comedy will have the same appeal for young girls as Clueless and Legally Blonde had for her when she saw them. "Clueless is still my favourite movie of all time and I also like Legally Blonde and The Princess Diaries because movies like these provide a fun way to feel good about being a girl." What a Girl Wants and her new TV show What I Like About You excite Bynes because she gets "to play my own age. I'm not being passed off as a little kid anymore. "These projects deal with issues that people my age go through. I know it's difficult for some of my fans from my Nickelodeon shows to accept that I'm not a little kid anymore because there are so many reruns of those series. "I'm not that little girl anymore so I hope they don't expect me to stay young forever." Bynes says she has been offered several film projects to fill her hiatus from What I Like About You this summer but she hasn't accepted anything yet. "I'd actually just like to take the summer off. I'd rather not work. I'm pretty tired from everything I've had to do these past 12 months. "I just want to be me for a while."

Thanks Karen, Mari, and all for the typing and scanning so that we can enjoy the reviews...good and not so good. (article)Still, that can't kill off the good will generated by Bynes and Colin Firth IMHO, the film's strongest asset. (CF)I don�t mind it really, being typecast as British. When you are British, it doesn�t feel like being typecast at all. LOL, I love that line. (Tress)This is amazing! This works??! I don't have a movie! Does anyone have his number? I wanna call him! A girl can try! And even if he says no to my non-existent movie without a script at least I can woo him! ;-D I think you need an assistant for this, Tress.

By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Entertainment Writer What Amanda Bynes (news) should have wanted from "What a Girl Wants" is a better script � and she deserves it. A rising star who had her own variety show on Nickelodeon at 12, and who was easily the best thing in the otherwise unwatchable "Big Fat Liar" with Frankie Muniz (news), Bynes is cute, funny and infinitely likable. She has the looks and comic timing of a young Jennifer Aniston (news) � another actress for whom it took too long to leap successfully from television to film. What the 17-year-old Bynes got was a sticky-sweet fairy tale strictly for tweens and teens who couldn't get enough of this movie when it came out in 2001 and was called "The Princess Diaries." "What a Girl Wants" smacks of the sitcommy humor Bynes hopefully will be so done with soon, full of pratfalls and repeated sight gags. This should come as no surprise, though; the director, Dennie Gordon, previously directed episodes of "Ally McBeal (news - Y! TV)" and other TV shows before making her feature debut with 2001's disastrous "Joe Dirt." And Jenny Bicks, one of the screenwriters, has written episodes of "Sex and the City (news - Y! TV)." Thirty minutes or so of this kind of comedy may work, but in feature film form, it feels forced � and Gordon made the movie even longer than it had to be with several montages of Bynes' character trying on clothes, with insipid girl-power pop playing in the background. The most interesting thing about the movie took place behind the scenes: Warner Bros. changed the ads, which featured Bynes flashing a peace sign and wearing a tank top adorned with an American flag, to ones in which her hand is resting at her side. Because of the war in Iraq (news - web sites), the studio feared the peace sign would be misinterpreted as a political statement. But there's no way anyone could confuse this movie with one that has something serious to say. Bynes plays the perky Daphne Reynolds, who grew up in New York City's Chinatown section with her bohemian mother, Libby (Kelly Preston (news)). At one of the many weddings where Daphne works as a waitress while Libby sings with her rock band (and Preston really does belt out bad covers of Celine Dion (news) songs), Daphne laments that she'll never have the father-daughter dance the bride enjoys because she doesn't know her father. Dad is Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth (news)), a British politician from an aristocratic family with whom Libby fell in love and informally married in Morocco 17 years ago. But Henry's family gave her the boot because she was an unsuitable Yank, and he never learned he had a daughter. (You see where this is leading, right?) Daphne impetuously jets off to England, where The Clash's "London Calling" plays as she sees the sights from the top of a double-decker bus, naturally. (The filmmakers couldn't resist using that great but obvious song, but notably left out Christina Aguilera (news)'s "What a Girl Wants" � though its inclusion certainly couldn't have hurt.) All the requisite cultural clashes ensue. Daphne's cute new boyfriend, a local musician named Ian (Oliver James), has to explain that the "loo" is a thing, not a person. And when she finally meets her father � along with his controlling fiancee, Glynnis (Anna Chancellor), and her snooty daughter, Clarissa (Reese Witherspoon (news) look-alike Christina Cole) � Daphne is forced to conform to their conservative, traditional ways, which includes changing her wardrobe and stifling her personality. While the movie's you-go-girl, be-yourself message is exactly what its target audience needs to hear, the problem is, Daphne was by no means socially unacceptable in the first place. She's extremely normal � a vivacious, stylish, inquisitive girl. So breaking her down just to rebuild her in their image, and having her assert herself, is a pretty unfounded premise. Besides wasting Bynes' talents, "What a Girl Wants" also squanders several veteran actors, including Eileen Atkins as Henry's mother, Jonathan Pryce (news) as his top adviser, and Firth himself, though they manage to allow some deadpan humor to come through. But lines such as "This Cinderella's got a dad � she not going anywhere," are likely to be the groaners you remember long after this movie has turned into a pumpkin. "What a Girl Wants," a Warner Bros. Pictures release, is rated PG for mild language. Running time: 103 minutes. One and a half stars out of four. ___ Motion Picture Association of America rating definitions: G � General audiences. All ages admitted. PG � Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. PG-13 � Special parental guidance strongly suggested for children under 13. Some material may be inappropriate for young children. R � Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. NC-17 � No one under 17 admitted.

Maria has found an older interview, done for BJD, which has quite a lot of new information and a morbidly funny quip by Colin. I've given it the 'special interview' treatment: http://www.firth.com/articles/01unreel_bjd_p1.html BTW, it is one two pages, in case no one notices the link. ;-) More to come...

Thanks Dorine for the great article. And thank you everyone for all the items, links and reviews. So much to take in. Thanks again.

(Maria) Especially fond of the Catholic news service review me too! (an am not even Catholic) :-)

How do they regard your profession? They're dead. So they're perfectly at peace with it now ROTFL! This has been posted or printed somewhere before? Some of it seems quite familiar. Thanks Karen for this and all the reviews. And to Mari, Murph, Brenda, et al for the recent articles and reviews.

(Linda) I think you need an assistant for this, Tress. Oh definitely! You can help me do the pitch...can you improvise? ;-) (CF interview) But I've been sent shoes. I think that is even stranger than underwear. That's were that other shoe went! ;-) (CF interview) I can say to this day, that I've actually never had a sexual proposition. LOL...this is hard to believe! But I guess that's his story and he's sticking to it...imagine LD wouldn't want to hear otherwise. Thank you Maria and Karen for that interview! Wow..two good ones in two days! Thanks ladies!

Dorine's article is here with *my* interpretation. ;-) http://www.firth.com/articles/03gotham_apr.html

Oooooh Mari! I just read Mr Beaks' interview with Dennie and you didn't highlight this part: Our conversation is wide ranging, from her graduate work at Yale to her possible future collaborations with Alpha-Anglo Firth, (note to Dennie: pursue fervently)... *banging head against wall*

(Maria) Especially fond of the Catholic news service review Perhaps all that candle-lighting has finally paid off????? thanks everyone for posting reviews, good and not so good. Can't believe tomorrow is Friday already!!! Time to go to the movies!

(article)I've just tended to find that I'll operate on a case-by-case basis He could operate my case any day ;-) Thank you all, for the articles and reviews.

(Karen)which has quite a lot of new information and a morbidly funny quip by Colin. Thanks for the interview.(All two pages;-). Hysterically funny....we got the bird again in Nigeria. But he hasn't recalled the St. Louis playground gang in a few years now...I miss 'em;-)))

Thank you, Karen and Maria! What female stars would you like to work or think you'd have great chemistry with? I'm not getting caught out on that one. That's private. Smart boy (though I loved his reference back to it in the following question)

How do they regard your profession? They're dead. So they're perfectly at peace with it now Dorine, this was my favorit line, too. LOL The new man doesn't work so now I've got to try to discover my inner wild man. Come to think of it, I like this one, too. Oh just the thought of it. Thank you, Karen.

Her parents are from...one is from Siena and one is from Florence. Moon's going to like this one. Parents from two warring cities. They generally hate each other. ;-) Is there anything that you want him to see? No. There's nothing I'm burning him to see, at all. Sad, v. sad. :-(

WOooooh Mari! I just read Mr Beaks' interview with Dennie and you didn't highlight this part Hey, I lead the horses to the water . . .;-) Thanks for the interview, Karen and Maria! Ok, the real reviews, from real newspapers, are starting to come in. Appropriate that this woman's name is actually ogle, given her comments;-) What a girl wants: mom and dad -- and a lot of wholesome fantasy Connie Ogle Miami Herald What a Girl Wants is exactly what a girl -- specifically a dreamy middle-school girl -- wants. It's a cheery, impossible fantasy in which the bright, resourceful but completely nonthreatening heroine has a cool, gorgeous, ex-hippie singer mom who doesn't seem to object to tattoos; a rich, gorgeous, ex-hippie politician father; access to his extensive family estate and connections, and an adorable British singer boyfriend who looks like a baby Keanu Reeves and rides a motorcycle. In a wholesome, nonthreatening way, of course. It also has a reasonably likable star in Nickelodeon's Amanda Bynes, a teen-friendly message that won't appall parents -- be true to yourself -- and, for mothers weary of the boring grown-ups in Crossroads and A Walk to Remember, Colin Firth, who may look like a dad to the kids but will always be Pride and Prejudice's Mr. Darcy to the rest of us. Firth is only one member of the high-pedigree cast; others, such as Eileen Atkins and Jonathan Pryce, also lend the film a touch of respectability. Inspired by 1958's The Reluctant Debutante and bearing a whopping debt to Cinderella and The Princess Diaries, What a Girl Wants tells the story of 17-year-old Daphne (Bynes), who wants to meet her high-profile father in England. Her mom (Kelly Preston) has tried to protect Daphne from his severe and snooty family, but Daphne takes off across the sea anyway. Don't ask where the waitress daughter of a wedding singer got the money for the Virgin Atlantic ticket. It would be unseemly. Daphne discovers Lord Henry Dashwood (Firth) is busy running for Parliament, and, worse, he comes complete with a wicked stepmother-to-be (Anna Chancellor, doomed to lose Firth's affection yet again the way she did in Pride and Prejudice) as well as an even more wicked stepsister (Christina Cole). Henry does, however, accept Daphne into his home, where she proceeds to disrupt stuffy British events because she is, after all, an American. That means she is madcap and irrepressible while all around her turn up their noses, at least until they're bewitched by her charm and dance moves. (It should be noted that I will scream aloud at the next movie in which uptight people dancing is the stuff of high comedy.) Daphne does try to change into the perfect daughter, much to the dismay of her singer suitor Ian (pin up-to-be Oliver James), but eventually realizes she must be herself. This, like everything else in the movie, is not unexpected. But What a Girl Wants is a fairy tale, after all, and by now we know what that means. The bad are punished, good triumphs and The Clash's London Calling blares on the soundtrack. Daphne makes a designer original out of a truly hideous dress armed only with a pair of scissors, and Dad loosens up enough to try on a pair of his old leather pants. That's Colin Firth in leather pants. Now talk about a fantasy.

Karen Heller Philadelphia Inquirer Designed as the ideal confection to attract a young girl or teen, What a Girl Wants will more likely hook their mothers. Ostensibly, the movie stars Nickelodeon luminary Amanda Bynes, but it truly belongs to Colin Firth, the thinking woman's Hugh Grant. Bynes, late of The Amanda Show, plays Daphne Reynolds, love child of a footloose American flower child (Kelly Preston) and English aristocrat Firth, who split before her birth despite true love because, well, that's the way these movies work. After high school graduation, Bynes flies to London, picks up a cute singing beau in no time at all (newcomer Oliver James), but all she really wants is Daddy, whose inner rebel is muffled in pinstripes. Firth is also saddled with a stuck-up fiancee and her daughter, plus a run for Parliament orchestrated by her nasty father. Nobody can do hound-dog eyes coupled with upper-class repression better than Firth, and here he gets his chance. Not to belabor the point, although Girl is nothing if not belabored, Firth plays Lord Dashwood, the surname of Jane Austen's sisters in Sense and Sensibility, after having played Mr. Darcy twice, in A&E's entrancing Pride and Prejudice and in Bridget Jones's Diary. But this, alas, is Clueless without a clue. Bynes has a pixie face and a Brazilian-model body of death, the juxtaposition supplying the movie's greatest tension. She's likable enough, though her acting range is ideally suited for children's cable and this role calls on her to be nonstop adorable. Girl, you'll be happy to know, contains the entire catalog of chick-flick cliches: shopping (twice), debutante ball, evil rivals (mother and daughter), good and bad suitor (for Dad and daughter), makeover (ditto), plus acquisition of major jewelry. Sterling stage actors Jonathan Pryce and Eileen Atkins are prominently featured, but only Atkins is put to good use, uttering such maxims as "No hugs, dear, I'm British. We only show affection to dogs and horses."

(Mari) Appropriate that this woman's name is actually ogle, given her comments;-) *hee hee hee* Apparently, the P&P graduating class have all become movie critics. That's one way to take over. ;-) That's Colin Firth in leather pants. Now talk about a fantasy. it truly belongs to Colin Firth, the thinking woman's Hugh Grant. Am putting my boots on.

What a Girl Wants will more likely hook their mothers. Ostensibly, the movie stars Nickelodeon luminary Amanda Bynes, but it truly belongs to Colin Firth, the thinking woman's Hugh Grant. Finally, we're recognized;-) Loved that!!! Loved that "it truly belongs to Colin Firth, bit as well. Thanks, Mari...and from the Inquirer, too! thank you Maria, too.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0404/p16s01-almo.html Christian Science Monitor reviews Highlights...mainly lowlights SWINGING INTO COMEDY: Colin Firth, who has made something of a specialty of romantic leads, takes on the role of Dad in 'What a Girl Wants' with Amanda Bynes. WARNER BROS. Mr. Darcy trades in horse for a motorcycle ..."I enjoyed it because I play a father ... and also, I didn't have to leave England," says Mr. Firth, who plays Lord Henry Dashwood. "I was home each night with my wife and young son." ...When Firth isn't working, one can find him reading. That is, unless he is with his Italian-born wife, vacationing in Italy. "I love to travel to Rome. I really enjoy visiting the little villages near there," Firth says. "One of the things important to me is to try my hand at cooking their specialties. "Don't ask my wife about my cooking. She'll agree the food is quite wonderful, but after I'm finished, the kitchen is far from tidy." ****** And, if you follow the link to the movie review... The junior nobility diaries By David Sterritt If the Warner Bros. wizards have it right, what a girl wants is to see as much of Amanda Bynes as she possibly can. Eager to please, said wizards have shoved Ms. Bynes into almost every frame of their new romantic comedy. This is excellent news for Bynes's youthful fans...It's not so great for the rest of us, since the film has nothing else to offer. The junior nobility diaries By David Sterritt If the Warner Bros. wizards have it right, what a girl wants is to see as much of Amanda Bynes as she possibly can. This is excellent news for Bynes's youthful fans...It's not so great for the rest of us, since the film has nothing else to offer. ...For my money, "What a Girl Wants" is weaker in every department, but I don't expect that to weaken its box-office prospects. These are assured by Bynes's popularity and - in case anyone over 21 shows up - supporting performances by Kelly Preston, the gifted Eileen Atkins, and Colin Firth, whose Hugh Grant impersonation has reached its pinnacle. Ladies? Time for the evil eye.

(Barb S)Ladies? Time for the evil eye. No worries, I was born in Salem, Mass... (no, really...)

NY Times [Not so hot] MOVIE REVIEW | 'WHAT A GIRL WANTS' Teaching the Old World Relatives Her New World Ways By DAVE KEHR Credit for fast thinking has to go to the Time-Warner executive who realized that Vincente Minnelli's 1958 comedy "The Reluctant Debutante" was ripe for a remake after the success of the 2001 Cinderella fantasy "The Princess Diaries." A result, thoroughly retooled for the audience now known as tweeners ? girls too old for Nickelodeon but not quite ready for "The Hours" ? is "What a Girl Wants." It was directed by Dennie Gordon ("Joe Dirt") from a script by Jenny Bicks and Elizabeth Chandler ("A Little Princess"), loosely derived from the play by William Douglas Home that inspired the Minnelli film. What was a supporting role in the original movie ? an American teenager (Sandra Dee) who spends a season in the social whirl of aristocratic London ? is now, in the child-centric universe of contemporary Hollywood, the leading part. As portrayed by the Nickelodeon alumna Amanda Bynes, Daphne Reynolds is a frisky young woman who lives in Manhattan's Chinatown with her single mom (Kelly Preston), an aging rock musician who now plays Long Island weddings. Daphne has never met her father, an English lord, Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth, stammering like a second-string Hugh Grant), who was tricked into breaking up with her mother before Daphne was born. Impulsively, she hops a jet to London to look him up and finds him in the midst of a campaign for the House of Commons after giving up his hereditary seat in the House of Lords. Though he's running as a populist, he's turned stuffy in the intervening years and has acquired a very proper fianc�e (the wonderfully dry Anna Chancellor, who deserves a film of her own some day) and a snooty future stepdaughter (Christina Cole). Amanda's assignment is clear: teach these doddering Old Europeans some New World funk (yes, there is a scene in which a James Brown song is performed at a coming-out ball), banish the fianc�e, humiliate the pretentious daughter and reunite her biological parents. All that, and try on an awful lot of clothes. Minnelli's comedy had its serious underpinnings: by the end of the film, a girl had become a woman. By the end of Ms. Gordon's film, which opens today nationwide, the girl is still a girl, but a girl with much cooler stuff, including a stately home, a butler and a cute British boyfriend (Oliver James). It's no longer the children who must learn to grow up, but the adults ? exemplified by Mr. Firth's character as he slips into a pair of leather pants and practices his air-guitar moves ? who are required to grow down. "What a Girl Wants" is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested); it includes a few glimpses of adolescent nuzzling. Directed by Dennie Gordon

London Times ,April 4th [They're a little slow] "Peace offering? Warner Brothers is the latest entertainment giant to react to the sensitivities of the Iraq War. Warner has altered the billboard for What a Girl Wants, its film about a New York teenager, portrayed by Amanda Bynes, who tries to track down her long-lost English Dad, played by Colin Firth. In the original publicity poster, Bynes flashes a peace sign, but in the latest publicity shots she places her hand uncontroversially on her right hip."

Here's one for HOPE SPRINGS from Reuters , London Film Review: Hope Springs Thu April 3, 2003 09:11 PM ET Hope Springs By Mark Adams LONDON (Variety) - All of the elements are in place for the romantic comedy "Hope Springs": an attractive and talented cast, witty script, nice direction and glorious locations. But somehow it can't make the leap from an enjoyable light film to a movie to remember. Boxoffice looks to be moderate, but expect a longer life in the DVD/video marketplace. The film premiered at England's Bradford Film Festival and gets a U.K. release in early May. Writer-director Mark Herman has adapted the 2001 book "New Cardiff" by Charles Webb, best remembered from his 1962 debut novel, "The Graduate." The script pretty closely follows the story of a disillusioned Englishman who heads to the picturesque New England town of Hope to start life over. Colin Ware (played with real charm by Colin Firth) is an illustrator, recently dumped by his fiancee, Vera (Minnie Driver), who sends him an invitation to her wedding to another man. He thus arrives heartbroken and jet-lagged in this charming small American town. As a sign reads, "18,459 people live in Hope." Joanie (Mary Steenburgen), the matchmaking landlady of the local motel, promptly introduces him to Mandy (Heather Graham), a trained "caregiver" who works at the local old folks home. Before long, she has broken through his grief and introduced a little sex into his life. Soon he is planning a series of pencil portraits of locals. The fly in this romantic ointment comes in the form of Vera, who arrives in Hope to announce the wedding invitation was just a joke to try to get Colin to commit. She wants him to return to England with her. This all, of course, leads to a heady triangle of love, jealousy and confusion with Colin forced to make a few difficult life decisions. The early scenes of Colin arriving in Hope feel heavy-handed -- uncomfortable Greyhound bus, stumbling jet lag, etc. -- and Firth seems ill at ease playing more physical comedy. Later in the story, the script's wit and his impressive line delivery carries the film. Firth certainly has the charm and style to be a romantic lead, but too often here he has to be dry and sour. It is a leap of faith to ask an audience to believe he can change so dramatically. Graham's role as Mandy allows her to be little more than a warmhearted local girl with only hints of problems from her past slipped into the script. As with many of her films, she is down to her underwear within a half-hour. While this is a very attractive proposition, her seduction of Colin feels telegraphed and clumsy. As a contrast, Driver as vampish Vera gets to wear the designer gear and come out with an array of barbed line deliveries. Whether railing about her inability to smoke anywhere in town or verbally abusing aging golfers, Driver does a great job in showing Vera as a smart, contriving woman. She also manages to get down to her underwear as she tries to seduce Colin, proving it is not just Heather Graham territory. Herman does a fine job but can't make the story leap from a lightweight, endearing film to a really fine romantic comedy. His direction is efficient, and he makes good use of the locations in British Columbia (nicely doubling for New England). The casting of Oliver Platt, as the town's mayor, and Steenburgen is inspired, with both bringing class and laughs to the proceedings. Buena Vista Pictures, Fragile Films

From Zap2it.co[They do boxoffice predictions] PREDICTION: That Girl Wants to Take Down Two Guys By Mike Szymanski Thu, Apr 03, 2003, 05:04 PM PT The two newcomers ready to duke it out for the box office this weekend are Vin Diesel in "A Man Apart" and Colin Farrell in "Phone Booth." Both are action thrillers, but while Vin's has great fight scenes and wild special effects (a bit smaller than "XXX"), Colin's is in real-time and the whole story takes place in a tight 90 minutes directed by Joel Schumacher. Both are getting pretty poor reviews, however. Of course, that doesn't stop the box office (note: last week's win for Chris Rock's much-maligned presidential run in "Head of State" which won the box office at $13.5 million). Getting even worse reviews, however, is the film that probably will take hold of the top spot in the box office, and that's "What A Girl Wants." Don't underestimate the power of that Nickelodeon TV darling Amanda Bynes. It's the widest opening of any movie this weekend, at 2,964 theaters, while the disappointing sci-fi film "The Core" is chugging away at 3,019 burrows. Also starring Kelly Preston and Colin Firth, it's a perfect family film about a girl who wants to meet her father in England for the first time, and it's geared for the young girl audience, so it should do well. "The Princess Diaries" tapped into that often ignored audience, and won the box office at $23 million opening weekend!

(HS Review) Later in the story, the script's wit and his impressive line delivery carries the film. Ohhhh...I long to see this film. Thanks Evelyn for posting all those reviews!

LA Times, April 4th, [Benign review. Focuses on AB] A girl just might want this fantasy Amanda Bynes charms in "What a Girl Wants." By Kevin Thomas, Times Staff Writer "What a Girl Wants" is a modern-day fairy tale for preteens with an exceptionally strong passion for romantic fantasy. Compared with this, the similar "Princess Diaries" is a tough-minded work of realism, yet on its own narrow terms "What a Girl Wants" works well enough. It has a decided plus in its appealing young star, Amanda Bynes, last seen opposite Frankie Muniz in "Big Fat Liar." What Bynes' 16-year-old Daphne wants is a father. Her band-singer mother, Libby (Kelly Preston), and her British father, Henry (Colin Firth), crossed paths in a Moroccan desert, fell in love and had a Bedouin wedding ceremony. But back in London, free-spirited Libby was overwhelmed by Henry's aristocratic family, which was in turn aghast at her hippie-like unsuitability. The sudden death of Henry's politically powerful father turned Henry into Lord Dashwood, and his late father's wily advisor, Alistair Payne (Jonathan Pryce), maneuvered a pregnant Libby into decamping to the U.S. Seventeen years pass, with mother and daughter living picturesquely in an apartment in New York's Chinatown. Libby and her band play at weddings, where Daphne works as a waitress. Libby encourages her daughter to plan for college, but first Daphne takes off to London to seek out the father who does not know she exists. In the meantime, Henry is running for office and could in time become prime minister. Alistair is not only managing the campaign, but also maneuvering his aggressive daughter (Anna Chancellor), who has an equally obnoxious daughter (Christina Cole) Daphne's age, into becoming Lady Dashwood. Daphne scales the walls of the vast ancestral Dashwood estate and easily charms Henry and his mother (Eileen Atkins). Daphne's all-American spontaneity wins over the aristos but also causes a sufficient number of inadvertent calamities to require Henry to remind her of the duties that go along with being a Dashwood. Naturally, Daphne wants her father to win the election, but along the way she discovers the importance of being herself. As a reworking of 1958's "The Reluctant Debutante," starring Sandra Dee and Rex Harrison, "What a Girl Wants," which was directed by Dennie Gordon and written by Jenny Bicks and Elizabeth Chandler, is likely to seem short on subtlety and credibility to anyone over 13. One can accept that Henry's sense of duty and feelings of rejection prevented him from running after Libby, and Libby's pride in raising Daphne on her own is believable. But how for a second could the intelligent and charming Henry let himself become engaged to such an obvious social-climbing barracuda as Chancellor's Glynnis, with her shallow snob of a daughter? And there's no explanation as to why Henry's sensible mother so quickly opens her heart to Daphne when she apparently did not do the same with Daphne's likable mother. Gordon manages some heart-tugging and some humor, and works in a down-to-earth boyfriend for Daphne (Oliver James), but the make-believe becomes increasingly just that. However, "What a Girl Wants" could just be the kind of fantasy more than one will want to see. ~~~~~~~~~~~` [This guy never liked fairy tales.]

Chicago Tribune,1 1/2 stars (out of 4) [Disgusting don't read it] by Robert K. Elder If "What a Girl Wants" wasn't already from the minds that brought us "Joe Dirt" and "Message in a Bottle," it might have been necessary to describe the movie's tone as "Joe Dirt" meets "Message in a Bottle." Were it not for young star Amanda Bynes' energetic good nature in the face of drab dialogue and wooden stereotypes, "What a Girl Wants" might have been a career-ending movie violation rather than just an embarrassing fender-bender. Essentially a misguided retread of the 1958 Rex Harrison/Sandra Dee vehicle "The Reluctant Debutante," "What a Girl Wants" follows teenager Daphne Reynolds (Bynes) to England in search of her father, Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth). In the 1980s, after a whirlwind romance with Daphne's bohemian mother Libby (Kelly Preston), Henry suddenly inherited the family fortune, along with obligations to uphold its reputation and traditions. Under pressure from Henry's advisor (Jonathan Pryce), a pregnant Libby ran back to America, never telling Henry of their daughter. Seventeen years later, Daphne changes all that, swooping in on Henry unannounced, right before his election to Parliament and his marriage to snooty social climber Glynnis Payne (Anna Chancellor). What a girl wants, according to screenwriters Jenny Bicks and Elizabeth Chandler, is a father. What a girl needs, however, are better filmmakers. Director Dennie Gordon ("Joe Dirt") has mistaken England for the moon, and the English for robotic, idiot aliens. "The Reluctant Debutante" was an example of Hollywood's "polite" comedies of manners. "What a Girl Wants," however, can best be described as impolite attempt at comedy that should be filed next to Cuba Gooding Jr.'s gay-themed "Boat Trip" in a video-store section called "Dusty Cultural Stereotypes." When Daphne hugs her grandmother (Eileen Atkins), she bristles: "I am British. We only show affection to dogs and horses." Firth, fresh off "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "The Importance of Being Earnest," joins Pryce as top English talent wasted for no good reason. That's not to say he isn't willing to throw himself into a role. It might take him years, however, to live down a scene in which he pours himself into leather pants, plays air guitar and yowls Rick Derringer's "Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo" in front of a mirror. Tom Cruise in "Risky Business" he is not. Yet, newcomer Bynes makes Daphne her own, bringing charm and a kinetic crackle to a movie that needs it badly. Former Tim Burton producer Denise Di Novi ("Message in a Bottle," "Ed Wood") continues a run of launching promising actresses in vapid movies (such as Mandy Moore in "A Walk to Remember"). A peasant amid "good breeding," Bynes is the wild-card American forced into stupid set pieces (example: a goofy, ice-down-the-back wedding dance set to "Shout!"), or situations geared to make her look like a forward-thinking Pollyanna sent to liven up the corpse-like British. It's all transparent, absurd posturing that makes everyone look culturally ignorant, if not a bit daft. In the end, it's difficult to gauge who looks more ridiculous - the wild, howling Americans or the humorless, pitiable British. If "What a Girl Wants" were read as pure history, one might surmise that Americans were simply rude houseguests the British kicked out 200-plus years ago." ~~~~~~~~ [For all that is worth, I liked "Message in a Bottle"]

Dallas Morning News [Don't read this one either] Movie Review (Grade C-) Published in The Dallas Morning News: 04.04.03 By NANCY CHURNIN / The Dallas Morning News What a Girl Wants is not just a rip-off of 2001's The Princess Diaries, it's also a rip-off of the 1958 film The Reluctant Debutante. In the first, a free-spirited American teenager, brought up by her American mother, suddenly finds out her late father was an aristocrat. In the earlier Rex Harrison/Sandra Dee film, a free-spirited American teenager, brought up by her American mother, suddenly decides to meet her living, aristocratic father and turns society on its ear. But, more than anything, the story is one of those laboratory concoctions in which you can tell the conclusion from the opening scene. Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Bynes) longs to meet the father she has never known. The father turns out to be Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), who fell in love with her rock 'n' roll-singing mother, Libby (Kelly Preston) 17 years ago. That was before he gave up his motorcycle to become a stuffy British politician. But his family, finding Libby less than acceptable, told each of them lies in order to end the relationship. So guess who is going to clear up those misunderstandings and bring them back together? The talented cast ? an impressive mix of new faces and old pros ? valiantly swims in a sea of clich�s about evil stepmothers, rich and royally-connected daddies, and true love that waits, untouched, for the right spark to send it into flame after decades of neglect. Newcomer Oliver James brings charm and an affecting singing voice to Ian, Daphne's British boyfriend and aspiring musician. Mr. Firth, who played heartthrob Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary, plays yet another volcanic heart poised to erupt under a crusty exterior. And it's certainly possible that Ms. Bynes' fans, who adore her from Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show, won't mind the silliness of her character here. Ms. Bynes does offer some touching moments as she gazes at other girls doing what she can't ? being escorted by their fathers in a father-daughter dance. But Daphne's character is so lacking in substance that it's unintentionally comical when she comes to the big conclusion that she must be herself ? especially when all that seems to mean is wearing jeans and purple nail polish instead of a ball gown at a dressy event. What a Girl Wants is also one of those movies in which no one bothers with real-life minutiae, such as where does a presumably penniless teenager get the money to fly to London and stay in hotels? And how do all those unwrinkled outfits fit into that smart little handbag, which is all we ever see her carrying? Did she get the bag in the same shop that Mary Poppins got hers? Of course, Mary Poppins seemed a lot more believable than this."

Hey, since he doesn't take his career seriously, neither will I. So am enjoying the barbs, at least the clever ones. ;-) (CS Monitor) Colin Firth, whose Hugh Grant impersonation has reached its pinnacle. And that other one about stammering???? Say, it ain't so. :-( (Trib) "What a Girl Wants," however, can best be described as impolite attempt at comedy that should be filed next to Cuba Gooding Jr.'s gay-themed "Boat Trip" in a video-store section called "Dusty Cultural Stereotypes." LOL! (Trib) It might take him years, however, to live down a scene in which he pours himself into leather pants, plays air guitar and yowls Rick Derringer's "Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo" in front of a mirror. Tom Cruise in "Risky Business" he is not. I agree, even without seeing the movie. He should've done it without pants. ;-) In re: Hope Springs (Variety) Firth certainly has the charm and style to be a romantic lead, but too often here he has to be dry and sour. It is a leap of faith to ask an audience to believe he can change so dramatically. Hmmmmm Thanks, Ev, for all the reviews

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/115714_whatgirl04q.shtml 'What a Girl' is not the royal hit that Bynes would want Friday, April 4, 2003 By WILLIAM ARNOLD GRADE: C+ The so-so teen comedy "What a Girl Wants" is out to duplicate the box-office success of "The Princess Diaries" and turn Nickelodeon TV personality Amanda Bynes ("All That") into a movie star. Unfortunately, it's likely to fail in both ambitions. Bynes has a definite appeal, her supporting cast (Kelly Preston, Jonathan Pryce and especially Colin Firth, who gives a genuine performance as her long-absent father) is strong and the movie musters a moment or two of fairy-tale charm. But it's mostly forced and predictable, too much of the physical comedy falls very flat and director Dennie Gordon ("The Adventures of Joe Dirt") doesn't have the kind of masterful touch that might whip the sit-com proceedings into something special. It's the story of a 17-year-old girl (Bynes) raised in New York's Chinatown by her hippie musician mother (Preston) without ever having met her father (Firth), an English lord who is now on the cusp of being elected prime minister and doesn't even know she exists. When, one day, she goes to London and declares herself to him, he takes her in, but it's all culture-clash goofiness from there on as she butts heads with British society and the snobbish baddie (Pryce) who ruined her parents' marriage in the first place. As she foils the villain, falls in love with a nice English boy (Oliver James) and straightens out all of Dad's problems, Bynes' expressive eyes and sharp comic timing are sporadically winning, but she always seems somewhat dwarfed by the dimensions of the big screen.

USA TODAY By Claudia Puig, Girls undoubtedly will want to see it, but What a Girl Wants feels a bit like a reheated version of The Princess Diaries. It lacks Diaries' exuberance, but Girl does boast the likable presence of Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes, the suave charm of Colin Firth and a cute, chaste romance with youthful hunk Oliver James. The story line and gags are predictable: Daphne Reynolds (Bynes), a 17-year-old free spirit raised by her bohemian mother (Kelly Preston), goes to London to meet her father, Lord Henry Dashwood (Firth), a prominent aristocrat running for public office. He had no idea that his short-lived marriage produced a child and has since gotten engaged to the ambitious daughter (Anna Chancellor) of his conniving political adviser (Jonathan Pryce). Daphne gets to know her father while coping with a snobby stepsister-to-be (Christina Cole) and with the myriad social obligations expected of her. The contrast between her rollicking American self and the tamped-down version she must become while in British society is so oversimplified that it likely will reinforce stereotypes for a youthful audience. The Brits are all stuffy, unfashionable twits, except for the adorable, dark-eyed musician (James) whom Bynes falls for. His is the only character with some measure of depth. He tells Daphne: "Why fit in when you were born to stand out?" Regarding English stereotypes, there is a funny line from Daphne's grandmother (Eileen Atkins), who fends off Daphne's embrace with: "No hugs, dear. We're British. We only show affection to horses and dogs." Firth's own inner rebel gets dusted off � though it might be going a tad too far to show the dignified Firth rocking out and playing air guitar in skintight leather pants. Both Firth and Pryce deserve better material than their one-dimensional roles call for. Bynes' efforts to be cute and endearing sometimes veer into mugging. In the movie's finale, there are echoes of yet another movie, The Parent Trap, in which two long-estranged parents reunite. This fits into the fantasies of many kids raised by single parents and contributes to Girl's fairy-tale quality. There's nothing wrong with fairy tales, but they don't have to be formulaic. A movie like this would have benefited from a blending of the fanciful and the inventive

'What a Girl Wants' has the sweet sass teen girls crave By BRUCE WESTBROOK Houston Chronicle The first thing we love about What a Girl Wants is the literalism of its title. Like The Simpsons' Lisa reading Non-Threatening Boys magazine, the movie brandishes its agenda in a moniker that would fit almost any teen chick flick. A cross between The Parent Trap and The Princess Diaries by way of Cinderella, What a Girl Wants concerns Daphne, 17, played by Amanda Bynes, who turned 17 April 3. Daphne doesn't find a long-lost twin, � la Parent Trap, but she does finally meet her long-lost dad, Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth). As seen in flashbacks, this reluctant aristocrat and Daphne's Bohemian mom (Kelly Preston) are soulmates. But Henry's handlers drove them apart before Daphne was born (without his knowledge), and she grew up in New York thinking Dad didn't want her. As a teen she seeks him out, flying to London to turn his life upside-down just as he wages a political campaign. In fact, she turns all of London topsy-turvy, the premise being that a free-spirited girl is as rare as a moon rock among the city's stuffy elitists. Daphne also instantly meets a handsome boy (Oliver James) who's perfect for her, and she ably defies the mean gold digger (Anna Chancellor) engaged to her dad. Heck, she might even be able to reunite her parents. Such things, after all, are what a girl wants. Though predictable and often preposterous, this warm and funny wish-fulfilling fantasy is a richly rewarding ride. From its seductive wealth trappings to a sweet romance, director Dennie Gordon pushes the right buttons. Of course, any cast with Firth has built-in charm. Flustered but entranced by his daughter's appearance, his Henry is thrown lovably off-balance. Though devoted to aristocratic duty, at heart he's a guy who loves rock 'n' roll, Cocoa Puffs and motorcycles. Just like Queen Latifah enlivening Steve Martin in Bringing Down the House, Bynes unleashes Firth's inner party animal. That's epitomized by a hilarious scene in which he dons leather pants to play air guitar before a mirror. More importantly, he must learn that being a public servant shouldn't preclude being a devoted dad. No problem. Throwing political caution to the winds, he immediately adores his daughter. But apart from Daphne's Cinderella-style stepmom-to-be and her "cranky pants" offspring, who doesn't? For all this to work, Bynes, of Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show, had to fit the film's glass slipper. Happily, it glides on like a Steve Madden sneaker. More feisty than most young heroines, she boisterously sticks up for herself while loosening up the Brits with her radiant smiles, cute clothes and brash, girl-power zest. Daphne not only gets what she wants -- she also prevails with ease. For her, inspiring party poopers to let down their hair is a snap, and she even wins over a dignified crowd when crashing a fashion runway. Loosely based on 1958's The Reluctant Debutante, the film's only awkwardness comes from trying to have it both ways. Londoners are quickly smitten by this lively girl, who is thrust into view through her father's campaign. But they also seem content when Daphne, after his poll numbers drop, adopts a conservative veneer. As if. Anyone who knows teen flicks knows you must be true to your heart. For Daphne, "tacky-American" fun is always around the corner, whether from Lizzy McGuire-style pratfalls or comments such as, "Don't let him in -- I'm not cute yet!" London is ever-sunny and picturesque, and the buoyant song score is superbly chosen, from the Isley Brothers' Shout to the Clash's London Calling, which vibrantly introduces the city just as it did in Die Another Day. Brits may agonize over the stereotypes* ("No hugs, dear -- I'm British") and the notion they need Yanks to break an icy veneer, but this wasn't made for them. It was made for American teen girls who know exactly what they want from a romantic comedy. And, as the title promises, they get it. Grade: A- ***** * Ed. note: It's interesting that the "no hugs" line was improvised by Eileen Atkins, per the AICN story.

NY Daily News: To the manor Bynes in a silly teen frolic Thursday, April 3rd, 2003 What a girl wants, according to the new movie with that very title, is her daddy. "I feel like half of me is missing!" wails annoying teenager Daphne (Amanda Bynes), who jets across the Atlantic to meet the father she never knew. She proceeds to charm him to pieces with the same behavior that makes this cloying fantasy such a chore to sit through. This irritating wish-fulfillment movie, obviously tailored to cash in on the crowd that ate up "The Princess Diaries," is the second one in as many weeks to show uptight people getting in touch with their better, looser selves by doing a line dance. In "State of the Union," there was a racial divide; here the divide is between starched-shirt Brits and fun-loving America, as personified by Daphne Reynolds, irrepressible all-American teen. Daphne, 17, is supposed to be such a lovable kook that all of England breathlessly awaits her next escapade. But the reality is that Daphne, like everything else in this cookie-cutter movie, is preprogrammed and packaged to avoid anything approaching spontaneity. One would be hard-pressed to find a story more safely predictable. Its approach to girlish longing can be summed up by the screenwriting team of Jenny Bicks ("Sex and the City") and Elizabeth Chandler ("A Little Princess"). Not only does a girl want her daddy, it seems, but a daddy who is rich and handsome and secretly very cool. Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth) also, fortuitously enough, shares Daphne's predilection for a certain product-placement breakfast cereal. Daphne was raised on the picture-book story of how her wedding-singer mom (Kelly Preston) met Henry in the Moroccan desert, where love and camelback swept them up in passion. Back home in stuffy England, Henry's handlers broke up the unsuitable romance, so Mom went back to New York. Henry doesn't even know about Daphne's existence until she tumbles wide-eyed over the garden wall of his manor. Can Daphne also tear down the wall that guards Henry's heart? Need you wonder? Minor complications include a dastardly political adviser (Jonathan Pryce) and another mother-daughter pair who are trying to hook Henry for their own nefarious purposes. The movie strains for sentiment, but if the fluttering of moist handkerchiefs was what the producers wanted, they should not have hired the flatfooted Dennie Gordon, director of "Joe Dirt." For the first time, Firth disappoints. Only Eileen Atkins manages some dignity as Daphne's wise, wry grandmother. 1 star by Jami Bernard (the one who wrote Chick Flicks) http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/moviereviews/story/72532p-67172c.html

Notes from the Dennie Gordon interview in my film class I�m just going to put down things haphazardly as I remember them. (My teacher will be henceforth referred to as �he�, and �they� when speaking about them both). Also, some of this info might be in production notes that are floating around. I didn�t read them all, so it may be a repeat for some. Some things may be obvious to some as well. Funny thing about his introduction of her. I guess he used some notes given by WB, as the same one was used to introduce her at the premier last night. The thing I thought was funny was, in talking about her previous directing jobs, they mention all the David E. Kelley shows, the Tracy Takes On, and Sports Night jobs, then says Adam Sandler produced comedies. Didn�t occur to me that this meant �Joe Dirt�. Either I didn�t realize or didn�t remember that AS produced �Joe Dirt� until I read that AICN story. I thought it interesting, but certainly not surprising that it wasn�t mentioned both times. He mentioned Colin right off the bat. (Possibly for me initially as I got quite excitable in his office about Colin one day when I found out this would be screened). But then there was a chorus of Ooooohs from many of the women in the audience when he mentioned Colin. So they talked about CF for the first 10 mins or so. Very similar things to what was said in the AICN interview (Thanks, Mari...saved me some typing :-)). She even said the comment about Colin being so principled which I thought was interesting in light of his not doing press for this and said so to her later. She told us the script was being written and when she looked at it, she said, �You�re writing this for Colin Firth aren�t you?� But WB wanted Pierce Brosnan (a resounding Oooh No! from the audience). He couldn�t do it since Bond was overschedule, so they wanted Hugh Grant next. She knew he wouldn�t want to portray someone with a teenage daughter. I�ve forgotten who the next studio choice was at the moment. But she said it really was a short list of acceptable choices......Jude Law too young, for example. She mentioned Jeremy Northam and didn�t really seem to discount him, but obviously not who she wanted. So as we know, she jetted off to England to beg CF so it could be greenlit. She mentioned his reluctance again as in the AICN article. She said they interviewed 300 hundred kids looking for an Ian. But couldn�t find anyone who was a good enough singer and actor and the right age. Somehow she found out about Oliver James, who was on the verge of becoming a member of a boy band put together by the guy who put together the Spice Girls. She auditioned him and the clincher was when he sang a Red Hot Chili Peppers song (don�t remember the name and didn�t recognize it when she said it). The boat scene with Ian and Daphne was supposed to be done in that lake with the boat on a submerged platform, but it didn�t show up. Instead they had two people (she said like Navy Seals) stand on either end of the boat with ropes to keep it in place. Then during the part where they kiss...... (?? � I�ve seen it twice and never saw them kiss. This was my bathroom break as I knew it was the only time ODB wasn�t onscreen for a length of time. And I never get up in the movies).....the boat is on land for stabilization. The chandelier crash scene.......there were 2 instances of CGI used here. One is that the people were filmed dancing as a group in a �doughnut� as she called it since they were in a circle. Choreographing that was rather harder than she expected. Then the chandelier was filmed falling separately (with 5 cameras) and merged later with the people. Also, when it fell, apparently the gold band around kept the crash rather compact and it just landed with a boring thud. So they added CGI pieces to make it look like more of a spectacle. Regarding the book Daphne gives Henry of her life...the crew contacted Amanda�s family, unbeknownst to anyone, and had them send real pictures of Amanda to put in the prop. So when Colin was looking at it, he was really very much affected by it and wasn�t acting so much in that scene. There was some consternation over how much Amanda should vamp it up during the Royal Dress Show. Since child labor laws there are similar to here, Amanda could only work 6 hrs a day. A double was used in most shots from the side and behind. Colin wasn�t too into or too sure about the leather pants scene at first, but he got into the fun of it eventually. (Think it was the extra $20 they slipped him?) ;-) I believe a bit of ad-libbing by Eileen Atkins was in the AICN article about the � We�re British....� line. She also ad-libbed the line �Is that how the West was won?� They talked quite a bit about how great Eileen Atkins is and what a good writer she is. Co-writer of Upstairs/Downstairs, her stage performance of Virginia Woolf inspired Michael Cunningham to write The Hours. As I�m sure most people have noticed, or will, the shots of the house grounds is actually two different places. Looking toward the house, West Wycombe Park, which we all know is in the country. Looking toward the street is......I actually can�t remember it fully and she said it fast, too. I met someone last night who knew. Please chime in if you know. They talked a bit about a few more technical things. He said when the interview was over, she�d be outside in the lobby area to answer questions. One other older man was out there talking to her by the time I got out there with her family crowded around. When he was done, she turned to me and I shook her hand. Said I was a big CF fan and said I thought her comment interesting on him being very principled in light of his decision not to do press. I let my sentence kind of trail off when I saw her expression seemed a mix of pain and disappointment (not quite as dramatic as it sounds really). She just said �yes� as my sentence trailed off. Told her I had a few questions. As I started to ask, she asked if we could talk as she walked out. My questions were more or less innocuous, inane really. Asked if, in light of the ad-libbing she mentioned, was the Oxfam reference already in the script or he put it in there as it�s one of his big causes. She said yes it is important to him, but it was a good cause and already in there. Asked what the noise was when Glynnis comes upon Henry in the leather pants, suspecting it was the sound of a needle being ripped from a record vs a zipper sound. It was a record rip. The last question was whether anyone commented on the irony that Miss Bingley lost Mr. Darcy yet again. She laughed and said AC commented on it. Then as we were going up the escalator I wished her luck at the premiere, that I was going, and had made my Rainforest Donation earlier that day. She got quite excited about that and shouted back to someone further down on the escalator about it. Didn�t know who he was at the time (found out from the Wireimage pics he was David somebody, Board Member of the Rainforest Alliance, who introduced her at the premiere). Then we parted ways as she got her family together to go out to dinner.

Thanks, Dorine, for typing up your notes. V. interesting, especially as it confirmed this for me: so they wanted Hugh Grant next. She knew he wouldn�t want to portray someone with a teenage daughter. Yeah, it also works to slip him an extra $20. ;-)

London is ever-sunny and picturesque More notes.... DG said it was the rainiest summer in London in years and the sun only came out when they filmed inside. Had CGI to make the sky blue with clouds on some shots. Also, Henry's library is the same one used in Gosford Park. There are a couple more locations that were used in other movies that I missed. I admit I spaced out on a couple of occasions trying to come up with or keep questions in mind.

'Girl' Gone Bad By Desson Howe Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, April 4, 2003; Page WE47 This movie's aimed exclusively for girls and women who make quiet moaning sounds at the thought of being born into an aristocratic and rich family -- preferably an English one. Young Daphne (Amanda Bynes) has always known that her father is Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), an English Lord who, in his salad (and motorbike riding) days, fell in love with and married Daphne's American mom, Libby (Kelly Preston). But on the British side of things, the scheming Alastair Payne (Jonathan Pryce) fixed things so Henry and Libby (pregnant with Daphne, unbeknownst to Henry) split up. When Daphne becomes a teenager, she decides to look up her father. She finds Lord Dashwood, who isn't even aware he has a daughter, engaged to Alastair's haughty, snobbish (and divorced) daughter, who has her own snobbish daughter in tow. The movie's a tiresome one-gag movie: Daphne moves in with her father, who's now an aspiring candidate for prime minister, and stands out like a Yank as Henry and family attend royal fashion and boat shows. It's uninspired and insipid all the way. And to add sacrilege to mediocrity, the Clash's "London Calling" plays on the soundtrack when Daphne arrives in town. WHAT A GIRL WANTS (PG, 104 minutes) -- Contains princess fantasy propaganda.

Thanks for all the reviews Evelyn, Karen, and Mari. Interesting the Philadelphia Inquirer was kind. If it was Carrie Rickey, she would have torn it to shreds ("She'll hate it. She hates everything"). She's still there right? (Karen) Hey, since he doesn't take his career seriously, neither will I. Now wait a minute....he took that extra $20 so he could afford to do GWAPE and Trauma, which are steps in the right direction. ;-) it's also a rip-off of the 1958 film The Reluctant Debutante. Why is this a criticism? She said WB bought this with the MGM(?) catalog they purchased and their intention was a remake for several years. the story is one of those laboratory concoctions in which you can tell the conclusion from the opening scene I knew the conclusion of Apollo 13, but that didn't make the story less interesting to me. It's not always the destination that's important, it's the journey. :-)

Dorine! Thanks so much for typing out your notes! Lots of goodies.... Regarding the book Daphne gives Henry of her life...the crew contacted Amanda�s family, unbeknownst to anyone, and had them send real pictures of Amanda to put in the prop. So when Colin was looking at it, he was really very much affected by it and wasn�t acting so much in that scene. Thought this was interesting! Sweet (okay, I shouldn't say that in reference to this movie, but I had to!). Like that AC made the remark that she lost Mr. Darcy again!

I hope no one watched Kelly Preston on Carson Daly. *cringe* After they showed the clip (Libby meeting with Henry at ball, AC horning in, a few "looks"), Carson Daly said something along the lines of: "the older guy, that's Colin Firth." Since the only other man they showed was Jonathan Pryce... Eowww!

ROTF, Karen. I can't stomach that cardboard cutout Daly. Forgot she was on though. Thanks for the "highlights." ;-)

I thought this was nice: From The NY Times....Though he's running as a populist, he's turned stuffy in the intervening years and has acquired a very proper fianc�e (the wonderfully dry Anna Chancellor, who deserves a film of her own some day) and a snooty future stepdaughter (Christina Cole). Despite the critics, want to bet that it will be the top money-maker this weekend?

yeah, it probably will, murph... I'm taking "my minion" who happens to be a huge AB fan to see the flick this afternoon. Of course, we're just going for Sam's benefit..Oh my, the things we go through for our kids. ;)

Thanks Dorine for typing -up your comments your comments, and questions to Dennie. DM"so they wanted Hugh Grant next. She knew he wouldn?t want to portray someone with a teenage daughter." Neither would Jeremy Northam or Jude Law(gaaah, he's only 30!)I suggested Alan Rickman, but my Drool commrades said he was too old. Agree with Murph that the box office will prove the critics wrong. But I'll post a goodie from my paper since I posted all the "dogs" last night. But brace yourselves for the UK reviews. They will be brutal. But he must have known this when he took the project without reading the script. *shaking head*

Friday, April 4, 2003 It's same-old for the same young 'What a Girl Wants,' a 'Princess Diaries' retread, doesn't appeal far beyond its star's ' 'tweener' constituency. By ROGER EBERT Chicago Sun-Times �WHAT A GIRL WANTS�: Daphne (Amanda Bynes) finally meets her father, a filthy-%rich Brit nobleman(Colin Firth). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amanda Bynes, the star of "The Amanda Show," is well- known to fans of the Nickelodeon channel, who are so numerous that she is to 'tweeners as Jack Nicholson is to the academy. She was sort of wonderful in "Big Fat Liar," a comedy about kids whose screenplay is stolen by a Hollywood professional, and now here she is in "What a Girl Wants," a comedy whose screenplay was stolen from "The Princess Diaries." But I am unfair. What goes around comes around, and to assume this is a retread of "The Princess Diaries" is to overlook its own pedigree. It's based on the 1956 play and 1958 screenplay, "The Reluctant Debutante" by William Douglas Home - who, by the way, was the brother of Sir Alec Douglas Home, briefly the British prime minister in the 1960s. 'What a Girl Wants' QUICK HIT: Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes stars as an American teenager who discovers from her mother (Kelly Preston) that her real father is the wealthy Sir Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth). Flying to London to meet him for the first time, she is involved in the intrigues of family and royalty, in a plot that seems to be a retread of "The Princess Diaries" but in fact is a remake of the 1958 movie "The Reluctant Debutante." Aimed at 'tweener girls and the more civilized of their brothers; not much use to anyone else. GRADE: B STARS: Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston, Eileen Atkins, Anna Chancellor, Jonathan Pryce, Oliver James, Christina Cole BEHIND THE SCENES: Directed by Dennie Gordon; written by Jenny Bicks and Elizabeth Chandler, based on the screenplay by William Douglas Home RATING: PG, for mildly crude language RUNNING TIME: 1 hour, 44 minutes PLAYING: Opens today throughout Orange County Do you need to know this? Perhaps not, but then do you need to know the plot of "What a Girl Wants"? The movie is clearly intended for girls 9-15, and for the more civilized of their brothers, and isn't of much use to anyone else. Bynes stars as Daphne Reynolds, who has been raised by her mother, Libby (Kelly Preston), in an apartment above a restaurant in Chinatown, for the excellent reason that we can therefore see shots of Daphne in Chinatown. As nearly as I can recall, no Chinese characters have speaking lines, although one helps to blow out the candles on her birthday cake. Daphne is the love child of Sir Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), a handsome British politician. Sir Henry had a Meet Cute with Libby in Morocco 15 years ago, and they were married by a Bedouin prince but never had a "real marriage" (a Bedouin prince not ranking as high in this system as a justice of the peace). Then Sir Henry's evil adviser (Jonathan Pryce) plotted to drive them apart, and she fled to Chinatown, believing Sir Henry did not love her and nobly saving him the embarrassment of a pregnant American commoner. So great is the wealth of the Dashwoods that their country estate, surrounded by a vast expanse of green lawns and many a tree, is smack dab in the middle of London. The Dashwoods, in short, live on real estate worth more than Rhode Island. Daphne jumps the wall at Dashwood House to meet her father, her lovable but eccentric grandmother (Eileen Atkins), her father's competitive fiancee (Anna Chancellor), her father's future stepdaughter (Christina Cole), and her father's adviser (Pryce), who frowns on the notion of introducing a love child on the eve of the election. Now that you know all that, you can easily jot down the rest of the plot for yourself. There are moments of wit, as when the eccentric grandmother recoils from the American teenager ("No hugs, dear. I'm British. We only show affection to dogs and horses."). So is this movie worth seeing? Well, everybody in it is either sweet or cute, or eccentric and hateful, and the movie asks the timeless question: Can a little girl from America find love and happiness as the daughter of a wealthy and titled English lord? If you are a fan of Amanda Bynes, you will probably enjoy finding out the answer for yourself. If not, not.

From Daily Oklahoman (3 stars out of 4) Gene Triplett, Charming film fulfills what a moviegoer wants 2003-04-04 "What a Girl Wants" falls somewhere between "Cinderella" and "The Parent Trap," with a healthy dash of "The Princess Diaries" to bait the snare. The intended quarry are girls between ages 6-16 with a taste for sassy, modern fairy tales loaded with cool fashions, "cute" boys on motorbikes and high-society settings. A lot of romance-loving moms will fall for this lighthearted comedy, too, since it stars handsome British heartthrob Colin Firth ("Bridget Jones's Diary") and lovely Kelly Preston ("Jerry Maguire") as a pair who missed the love boat after a whirlwind affair that happened long ago. But the teenybopper draw is bright- eyed Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes as Daphne Reynolds, the 17-year-old product of that brief-but-beautiful romance, who just might put her parents in their proper place -- back together again. Based loosely on the William Douglas Home play "The Reluctant Debutante," which became a 1958 Vincente Minnelli- directed film with Rex Harrison and Sandra Dee, this updated yarn from director Dennie Gordon ("Joe Dirt") and screenwriters Jenny Bicks ("Sex and the City") and Elizabeth Chandler ("A Little Princess") definitely plays to the younger female crowd, and quite effectively, judging from the laugh-filled reaction of a pre-release screening audience made up largely of that constituency. Bynes brings the perfect measure of pep, wit and charm to the role of Daphne, a spirited, all-American girl raised by her bohemian, wedding-singer mother Libby (Preston) to think and do for herself. Daphne has long been enchanted by her mother's bedtime stories of the father she's never known -- a British lord (Firth) whom a pregnant Libby left after his aristocratic family voted her unfit for marrying. The flighty Daphne one day decides to hop a plane for London, determined to meet dear old Dad, only to discover he's in the midst of an important political race and about to marry a social- climbing fiancee (Anna Chancellor) who has a snotty, conniving daughter (Christina Cole) just Daphne's age. Firth is fine as poor, befuddled Lord Henry Dashwood, who never knew he had a daughter until now. Henry takes her in willingly, despite the protests of his wife-to-be and his closest political adviser (an oily Jonathan Pryce). Knowing the uproar she's causing in high society could hurt her dad's campaign, Daphne tones down her free- spirited act, starts dressing the part of a debutante and prepares for her coming- out party. But a handsome young British musician she's met (scene-stealing newcomer Oliver James) sets her straight when he asks: "Why fit in when you were born to stand out?" The plot (and the plotting against Daphne) thickens when Mom arrives from America to retrieve her daughter, old flames are re-ignited, and Daphne's would-be step-mother and step-sister get their backs up. Slapstick and sweetness combine for a bright, sometimes poignant 104 minutes of fun -- if you're female, and young in years or at heart. The title says it all. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [At least this reviewer doesn't take this fairy tale seriously]

Well I'm glad the Daily Oklahoman gave WAGW 3 out of 4 stars. Unfortunately NY Newsday did not agree and only gave it 1/2 star. However, a review like that would never keep me away from the pleasure of seeing ODB on the big screen. I am going tomorrow with my 2 Amanda Bynes fan daughters and a girlfriend of mine who is equally CF obsessed.

Te May issue of the UK edition of In Style has a shortened version of the interview with CF that appeared in the US a couple of months ago. It has the picture of him sitting on a bed, but not the one of him leaning on his elbow. All in all, the magazine has 3 plugs for HS - Heather G is on the cover and the feature on her mentions the film, as does a short item on Minnie D's different hairstyles. Incidentally, the snippet Evelyn quoted from the Times about the peace sign being removed from the WAGW poster is very prominent as it is accompanied by colour photos of the 2 different posters.

Naturally, it is going to do big guns at the box office, just like the Princess Diaries did. Did anyone doubt it? You make pablum, and they eat it up. (But Phone Booth will top the weekend.) For the most part, WAGW is being reviewed by most newspapers' second/third string. Here's an irrelevant one from the WSJ, unless the tween has a large stock portfolio: ;-) Wall Street Journal 4/04/03 Joe Morgenstern "What a Girl Wants" Another botched update, "What a Girl Wants" is a contemporary riff on "The Reluctant Debutante," Vincente Minnelli's 1958 comedy with Sandra Dee and Rex Harrison. Amanda Bynes plays an American teenager, Daphne Reynolds, and Colin Firth is Lord Henry Dashwood, the English father Daphne has never known but yearns to meet. Ms. Bynes is at her best when she's asked to do the least - left alone, she's a likable young actress. But the director, Dennie Gordon, working from a frenetic screenplay by Jenny Bicks, isn't there to celebrate simplicity. "What a Girl Wants" plays like a TV cartoon, not even a sitcom, and makes little sense on its own terms. Lord Henry, who is running for a seat in Parliament as a commoner, should welcome his long-lost daughter with open arms when she arrives in England unannounced. Instead, he and his handlers see her presence as a dire threat to his campaign. Young audiences may welcome this movie, but girls, and boys, should want more.

The Ebert review that Maria posted is missing a number of paragraphs (still doesn't say anythign about Colin), but I'll repost it from the Sun-Times: Amanda Bynes, the star of "The Amanda Show," is well known to fans of the Nickelodeon channel, who are so numerous that she is to 'tweeners as Jack Nicholson is to the Academy. She was sort of wonderful in "Big Fat Liar," a comedy about kids whose screenplay is stolen by a Hollywood professional, and now here she is in "What a Girl Wants," a comedy whose screenplay was stolen from "The Princess Diaries." But I am unfair. What goes around comes around, and to assume this is a retread of "The Princess Diaries" is to overlook its own pedigree. It's based on the 1956 play and 1958 screenplay "The Reluctant Debutante" by William Douglas Home--who, by the way, was the brother of Sir Alec Douglas-Home, briefly the British prime minister in the 1960s. The point, I suppose, is that few movies are truly original, and certainly not "What a Girl Wants" or "The Princess Diaries." Both are recycled from ancient fairy tales in which a humble child discovers a royal parent and is elevated from pauperdom to princehood, to coin a phrase. I would not be surprised to learn that Jenny Bicks and Elizabeth Chandler, who adapted Home's screenplay, did homework of their own--because a key plot point in the movie mirrors Sir Alec's own decision, in 1963, to renounce his seat in the House of Lords in order to run for a seat in the Commons. He won, became prime minister after Harold Macmillan, and quickly lost the next election to Harold Wilson. Do you need to know this? Perhaps not, but then do you need to know the plot of "What a Girl Wants"? The movie is clearly intended for girls between the ages of 9 and 15, and for the more civilized of their brothers, and isn't of much use to anyone else. Bynes stars as Daphne Reynolds, who has been raised by her mother, Libby (Kelly Preston), in an apartment above a restaurant in Chinatown, for the excellent reason that we can therefore see shots of Daphne in Chinatown. As nearly as I can recall, no Chinese characters have speaking lines, although one helps to blow out the candles on her birthday cake. Daphne is the love child of Sir Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), a handsome British politician who has decided to renounce his seat in the House of Lords in order to run for the Commons (the movie dismisses such minutiae as that Tony Blair has already booted most of the Lords out onto the street). Sir Henry had a Meet Cute with Libby in Morocco 15 years ago and they were married by a Bedouin prince but never had a "real marriage" (a Bedouin prince not ranking as high in this system as a justice of the peace). Then Sir Henry's evil adviser (Jonathan Pryce) plotted to drive them apart, and she fled to Chinatown, believing Sir Henry did not love her and nobly saving him the embarrassment of a pregnant American commoner. So great is the wealth of the Dashwoods that their country estate, surrounded by a vast expanse of green lawns and many a tree, is smack dab in the middle of London, so central that Daphne can hop off a bus bound for Trafalgar Square and press her pert little nose against its cold iron gates. The Dashwoods, in short, live on real estate worth more than Rhode Island. Daphne jumps the wall at Dashwood House in order to meet her father, her lovable but eccentric grandmother (Eileen Atkins), her father's competitive fiancee (Anna Chancellor), her father's future stepdaughter (Christina Cole) and her father's adviser (Pryce), who frowns on the notion of introducing a love child on the eve of the election. Now that you know all that, you can easily jot down the rest of the plot for yourself. There are moments of wit, as when the eccentric grandmother recoils from the American teenager ("No hugs, dear. I'm British. We only show affection to dogs and horses"). And an odd scene where Daphne is locked in a bedroom, released just as Queen Elizabeth II is arriving at a party, and flees in tears--causing her father to choose between chasing her and greeting the queen. My analysis of this scene: (1) He should choose to greet the queen, or 19 generations of breeding have been for nothing, and (2) Daphne won't get far before being returned, dead or alive, by the Scotland Yard security detail that accompanies the queen when she visits private homes. I found it a little unlikely, by the way, that the guests at the party were all looking at Daphne and not the queen. Paul Theroux wrote of being at a dinner party for the queen and agonizing over what he should say when she entered the room. Suddenly seeing her famous profile, all he could think of was: "That reminds me! I need to buy postage stamps." So is this movie worth seeing? Well, everybody in it is either sweet and cute, or eccentric and hateful, and the movie asks the timeless question: Can a little girl from America find love and happiness as the daughter of a wealthy and titled English lord? If you are a fan of Bynes, you will probably enjoy finding out the answer for yourself. If not, not.

WSJ :"Young audiences may welcome this movie, but girls, and boys, should want more." Oh dear, an idealist. It is true that this genre is enabling the "dumbing-down" of the young generation. But parents of pre-teeners have such little choices after the excellent Disney (and recently Japanese) animated films. There is a void til they get to the PG-13. And "How to Lose a Guy" isn't much better.So we get this and "Kangaroo Jack". Pitiful.

From MSNBC and San Diego Tribune; Colin even gets his own section: Fluffy, amusing �What a Girl Wants� Amanda Bynes is pert teen star, but Colin Firth keeps film fun By David Elliott April 4 � In a world of war and economic disarray, let us turn to the great issue of the day: Will Amanda Bynes become a movie star? Already a TV star at 12 with Nickelodeon�s �The Amanda Show� (she�s now 17), Bynes hugs and smooches the camera as Daphne Reynolds in �What a Girl Wants.� Daughter of New York soft-rock singer Libby (Kelly Preston), she is also the daughter of the very rich and now political Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), a British cutie and �future prime minister!� HENRY IS A BIT GUILTY about splitting with Libby long before, which ended his wild years by folding him into the pastry crust of the highest Establishment. Man, is he baked. His Moroccan Bedouin wedding with Libby evidently doesn�t impede his coming marriage to the militantly upscaling Glynnis (Anna Chancellor). Her snob daughter (Christina Cole) is eager to hate Daphne with blistering superiority. Never intimidated, Daphne dashes to the Dashwood estate in London (yes, in the city � it�s that grand), where her spunky American adorableness can wreck wedding plans and a lofty chandelier, yet also make a party �rock.� Some are enraged, more are smitten, especially new boyfriend Ian (Oliver James), whose working-class band is ready to rock at just about every posh function short of state funerals in Westminster Abbey. Amanda Bynes is a pert package. From her round face comes a smile so eager and frequent that her pout is only a smile in reserve. Her go-girl Americanism might not be in sync with current global trends. But if Cairo, Berlin and Paris returns are spotty, in the United States she may become, at least, the new Alicia Silverstone. PRAISE FOR FIRTH The distant source of this taffy is a play by William Douglas Home, whose high Scottish family includes a past prime minister. It was previously fluffed as �The Reluctant Debutante,� a 1958 Vincente Minnelli comedy with Sandra Dee, Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall, and to his small credit director Dennie Gordon doesn�t try to mimic Minnelli. If there is an adult excuse to chew the taffy, beyond the need to escape news from Iraq, it is not for the plug-in charms of old pros like Eileen Atkins and Jonathan Pryce. It is Colin Firth. Watching Firth mumble and flubber and fidget with adorable sincerity, you wonder if he took some priestly vow of serious acting. He works through his jokey squiggles of emotion, even his �air guitar� dance in leather from Dashwood�s youth, as if he were being loyal to Chekhov or the Oscar Wilde of �De Profundis.� It is Firth, and the spread of British sites, sights, speech and clipped wit (plus some dorky stuff) that keep �What a Girl Wants� bearably amusing. There are even good facsimiles of Prince Charles and his royal mother. It is all a lot closer to Cyndi �Girls Just Want to Have Fun� Lauper than to Sigmund �What do women want?� Freud. Poor old Freud, stuck in a pre-Firth era, never did answer his question. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Elliott is the movie critic of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Lovely! I'd bet Karla Peterson (who did two Firthcentric articles for the U-T) has tutored this reviewer in the finer aspects of Firth films.

HENRY IS A BIT GUILTY about splitting with Libby long before, which ended his wild years by folding him into the pastry crust of the highest Establishment. Man, is he baked. LOL....I think this is my favorite line so far in any of the reviews I've read! Watching Firth mumble and flubber and fidget with adorable sincerity, you wonder if he took some priestly vow of serious acting. He works through his jokey squiggles of emotion, even his �air guitar� dance in leather from Dashwood�s youth, as if he were being loyal to Chekhov or the Oscar Wilde of �De Profundis.� Like this bit too! Thank you to all the ladies who have been putting up reviews and interviews! I've enjoyed them all!

Been looking hard for another decent one... Bill Muller The Arizona Republic Apr. 4, 2003 12:00 AM Hollywood's latest version of Cinderella is What a Girl Wants, in more ways than one. For one thing, the film stars Amanda Bynes, the apple-cheeked, belly shirt-clad ambassador for a generation of teenage girls who are switching from Nickelodeon to MTV. With its fairy-tale plot, peppy soundtrack - ranging from Michelle Branch to the Clash - and emphasis on fashion, the movie should delight its target audience and keep parents interested as well. Although What a Girl Wants could be easily dismissed as a Princess Diaries knockoff, the film is a few degrees more earnest. It doesn't quite discard the emotional baggage of its subject matter, although it hardly qualifies as a primer on family relations. The movie is predominantly fluffy and loveably goofy, mostly due to the presence of Bynes, who's definitely a star in the making. Her dramatic acting can be hit and miss, but her physical comedy skills are well developed from her years on the Nickelodeon skit show All That. More significantly, Bynes embodies the modern-day ingenue, possessing a combination of natural guile and plucky insouciance that adds up to charm. She also affects an endearing klutziness, a physical manifestation of those "awkward" teenage years. Unlike Brooke Shields and other female pop icons from the past, Bynes is better than beautiful. She's cute, making her accessible to legions of young fans and a perfect pitch-girl for all those wonderful products coming to a retail center near you. Bynes plays Daphne, 17, who lives in New York with Libby, her flower-child, wedding-singer mom (Kelly Preston). Daphne's never known her aristocratic British father, Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), who romanced her mother in his youth but never learned of Daphne's existence. Longing to meet her dad, Daphne travels to England just as Lord Dashwood is starting a run for Parliament. With the British tabloids hot on the trail of a scandal, Daphne does all the things you might expect from a youngish Yankee in King Arthur's Court. She stumbles into highbrow fashion show and wows the blue bloods, turns a stuffy party into a bash (literally) and dumps a boorish suitor into the drink. Firth (Bridget Jones' Diary) lends credibility simply by playing things straight. His character is allowed to express anguish over being cut out of his daughter's life. In most of these movies, it takes little more than buying the kid an ice cream cone to make everybody feel better. Inspired by The Reluctant Debutante, a 1958 Sandra Dee-Rex Harrison romantic comedy, What a Girl Wants has no shortage of stock characters, including Daphne's sympathetic grandmother (Eileen Atkins), her British dream date/musician (Oliver James) and Lord Dashwood's scheming assistant (Jonathan Pryce). Let's not forget the ultimate Cinderella touch: Daphne's' evil future stepmom (Anna Chancellor) and stepsister (Christina Cole), who are determined to keep little Janey-come-lately from spoiling their chance at status and wealth. Naturally, Daphne is given plenty of chances to outwit her stuck-up adversaries, from dazzling the royals to adding zip to a dowdy party dress to drawing the attention of prospective suitors. I'm surprised she doesn't fix Big Ben with her handy ratchet. It's hardly a memorable film, but it's bound to be a hit with the Britney and braces set. In this case, What a Girl Wants is what a girl gets. http://www.azcentral.com/ent/movies/articles/0404whatagirl04.html

Thank you Dorine, for typing and posting your notes from your screening and interview with Dennie Gordon. Also - thank you Karen, Evelyn, Mari, Maria and all of you I forgot to mention for posting the reviews. Enjoy your drooling, no sorry - viewing all of you who get to go this weekend. (Karen)He should've done it without pants. ;-) So that's why you wantet the leather pants as a keepsake; to see him without any ;-)

Los Angeles Daily News: 'Girl' needs an original idea By Glenn Whipp The watery Cinderella tale "What a Girl Wants" never fails to live down to your expectations. When someone stands up in a rowboat, you know they're going to fall in the drink. When it is mentioned that a pretentious snob loves his chandelier more than life itself, you know it's going to come crashing down. When someone needs a new dress, you know there's going to be one of those let's-go-shopping montages, a scene that has become such a cinematic cliche that it ought to be outlawed. What you don't expect to see is Colin Firth wearing leather pants and a muscle shirt. Then again, you don't expect to see the reliably charming Firth slumming in a "Princess Diaries" knockoff like this. Firth is essentially doing what Julie Andrews did in Disney's "Diaries,' lending the enterprise a whiff of class and providing the film's younger castmates with an acting lesson or two. "Diaries" was agreeable entertainment, reaping the benefits of having pro's pro Garry Marshall behind the camera. Say what you will about Marshall's slick entertainments ("Pretty Woman," "Beaches," "Runaway Bride," etc.), the man can at least wring laughs from a broad comedy scene with a sitcom director's precision. The same cannot be said here for Dennie Gordon, who fails again and again to transcend his own television background, settling for the painfully obvious at every turn. Nickelodeon poster girl Amanda Bynes is Daphne, the girl in the title, a sassy 16-year-old who misses the father (Firth) she has never known. The fact that he's an English lord isn't the attraction. Daphne has simply always wanted to participate in the father-daughter dance at weddings. And she goes to a lot of weddings since her hippie chick mom (Kelly Preston, who croons a mean "Heaven Is a Place on Earth") is a singer. So, without mom's blessing, Daphne lights out for England to bond with her father. Dad has trouble keeping a stiff upper lip as his wacky American daughter pratfalls her way around London (see the aforementioned crashing chandelier) and mucks up his political ambitions. Not that dad really minds. See, he's a nice guy. Who Daphne has to watch is the good lord's evil fiancee (Anna Chancellor, Duckface from "Four Weddings and a Funeral") and her prissy daughter (Christina Cole). Add a cute British musician suitor for Daphne (Oliver James) and an overwrought "ya gotta be yourself" message, and you've got a button-pushing, empty-headed fairy tale that will have even its preadolescent target audience squirming. Bynes is the least of the movie's problems. But sweet as she is, she's not nearly as irresistible as the movie thinks, which makes you wonder why everyone in London falls in love with her. Americans have enough image problems around the world without foisting this mugging cutie pie on the unsuspecting.

(Karen)He should've done it without pants. ;-) (Annette)So that's why you wanted the leather pants as a keepsake; to see him without any ;-) Small correction here: I claimed the leather pants first, but gave them to Karen as a gift back in December;-)))

Sorry about the misunderstanding;-) Come to think of it, I do remember. Just wantet to make at least *one* remark, that hadn't been made before. I just can't keep up with you clever girls;-)

Thanks all for all the reviews. Special thanks to Mari for the San Diego David Elliot review. Looks like it is all settled, I'm moving to San Diego and becoming a Catholic! ;-)))

(Maria) Looks like it is all settled, I'm moving to San Diego and becoming a Catholic! ;-))) ROTF. Hey Mari...you better dial: 011-44-1-800-catholic news service

Found this googling: http://www.fametracker.com/fame_audit/firth_colin.shtml I think, they need to do a little more homework, but also think they have some good observations ( as: sexiest voice ever)

Many thanks for all the reports and reviews! By way of contrast with WAGW... "MY LITTLE EYE director to give you TRAUMA While the U.S. release of his brain-frying MY LITTLE EYE remains in limbo, Irish director Marc Evans begins shooting his new psychological horror movie TRAUMA next week in London. According to our British scribe Alan Jones, TRAUMA stars Colin (BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY) Firth and sounds a bit like a nastier SPIDER (Ralph Fiennes). TRAUMA is the first of five movies from Little Bird, a new British production company; its second film, a vampire tale called INNOCENCE, will be directed by Carine (UNDER THE SKIN) Adler and star Samantha (MINORITY REPORT) Morton"

Fametracker is done by one of the gals at Televison Without Pity. I love the way they write. And Karen, I forget about Phone Booth. You are right. That will top the list. From the NY Times review of PB: "Mr. Farrell, who resembles a younger, bushier-eyebrowed Brad Pitt, acquits himself decently enough as the scuffling Bronx-born hustler who favors Italian suits. But this likable Irish actor, touted as Hollywood's studly flavor of the last several months, ultimately lacks the soulful magnetism that signifies a major screen presence." http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/04/movies/04PHON.html

Annette! OMG...I'm cracking up at the link you sent! Some favorite lines: ...he was upstaged by Gwyneth Paltrow's hair extensions and Joseph Fiennes's bizarre resemblance to Prince. I actually commented on that to my DH...LOL! And then this: And, let's face it -- Hugh Grant was so much fun to watch in that movie that it was hard to keep your eyes off him. During the fight scene in the film, we kept hoping he and Firth would start making out. Okay, I'll stop, but thank you for this! Very, very funny!! Love the assets (sexy voice and the ability to wear jodhpurs with dignity) and liabilities (At this point, he's in danger of becoming the love object of post-menopausal NPR listeners).....

closing, I hope...sorry.

Review: 'Girl' Gives Bynes Fans What They Want Teen TV Sensation Has Magnetic Presence Tim Lammers, Staff Writer POSTED: 9:12 a.m. EST April 4, 2003 'What A Girl Wants' (PG) (two 1/2 out of four) Sure, its clash of cultures storyline doesn't make "What a Girl Wants" the most original film to come down to pike, but that's hardly reason to write off an otherwise charming movie that's sure to satisfy fans of Nickelodeon television star Amanda Bynes. Bynes stars as Daphne Reynolds, a free-spirited American teen who has celebrated each of 17 birthdays in heartbreak. She has her loving, yet unconventional mother, Libby (Kelly Preston), always by her side, but Daphne's father is never there to accompany her -- so she feels incomplete. At least Daphne knows who he is -- Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), a wealthy British aristocrat who lives in London. He and Libby are an ocean apart thanks to the deception of Henry's snobbish family, who didn't feel she was suitable for their high class society. So when Daphne impulsively hops a flight to London in order to find her father, there are several surprises in store. First of all, Henry, now a politician facing a crucial election, didn't know he had a daughter, and second, that daughter -- who's just like her mother -- causes an uproar with the British aristocracy. But unlike mom, will Libby change to please her pompous patriarchy? "What a Girl Wants" has a "Princess Diaries" fish-out-water sort of feel to it, where a reluctant heir is suddenly thrust into a world opposite of hers. It's a tried and true comedy formula, and the success of that formula usually relies on whether its actors can deliver the goods or not. With "What a Girl Wants," the responsibility rests almost squarely on the shoulders of Bynes, who succeeds with a magnetic screen personality. It's easy to see why she has been a mainstay the past 10 years on cable's Nickelodeon network -- she has a wonderful sense of timing, and a great handle on physical comedy, to boot. Plus, she gets to show a tender side with the movie, which is sure give her fans a welcome surprise. But what really makes "What a Girl Wants" work is Bynes' chemistry with co-stars Oliver James and Firth. James, who plays Daphne's boyfriend and aspiring musician, impresses in his debut with a likeable demeanor and a great singing voice. The ever-dependable Firth is just plain charismatic, and his regret he expresses for not knowing he had a daughter provides the movie with its most poignant moments. There are no doubt shots on the way from film snobs out there who'll be quick to complain that "What a Girl Wants" has an all-too-familiar narrative and stereotypical characters. And, apart from any snide descriptions they'll use to criticize the movie, they're probably right. But that's not going to matter to the film's intended audience. What they'll get is a sweet and funny coming-of-age tale that teaches some important lessons about being yourself -- and kids, especially teens, can never get enough of that. "What a Girl Wants" is not an earth-shattering movie, by any means, but it's not completely frivolous either. For the lack of better words, it'll give fans of Bynes what they want. Copyright 2003 by TheKSBWChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Per Annette's link: At this point, he's in danger of becoming the love object of post-menopausal NPR listeners. OMG - I've been so busted! This *is* me..... Thanks Annette for the *heads up*;-)

Another very favorable review (unfortunately, a secondary paper I think..) Highlight - "And there's no way that we couldn't like Firth (Shakespeare in Love, Bridget Jones's Diary), who brings charisma, dignity and talent to every part he plays. Dashwood's interplay with Daphne evolves slowly and with subtlety and it's not a stretch to assume that has a lot to do with Firth's understated, compassionate turn." Yeah!! (Ok, I'll split my time between San Diego and Ohio...) http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/living/5556044.htm

(Evelyn)Hey Mari...you better dial: 011-44-1-800-catholic news service Karen is setting up a separate board for me, where I'll do baptisms. And distribute contribution envelopes.;-) Maria, how do you feel about becoming a Mormon: All You Could Want From a Teen Movie By Sean P. Means The Salt Lake Tribune A girl's search for her father becomes a charming, witty fairy tale. Rated PG for mild language; 104 minutes. "What a Girl Wants" is about as perfect a pop confection as you could want: sweet, funny, sly, hip, surprisingly touching -- and a showcase for the dynamic Amanda Bynes. Bynes, who turned 17 on Thursday, plays Daphne Reynolds, a New York City teen with only one sore spot in her happy life: She has never known her father. Daphne's rock 'n' roll mom, Libby (Kelly Preston), met Daphne's English father, Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), in Morocco, but their romance was thwarted by his upper-class family with Henry never knowing Libby was pregnant. Daphne jets to London to find Henry. She finds him just as he is embarking on a run for Parliament, and his social-climbing fiancee, Glynnis (Anna Chancellor) and her Machiavellian father (Jonathan Pryce) fear Daphne's sudden presence will stir up scandal. Henry, though, is less worried about the paparazzi than he is eager to learn about the daughter he never knew he had. Daphne is plunged into high society, though she is too fun-loving and dynamic -- in short, too American -- for the high-tea set. Screenwriters Jenny Bicks (a "Sex and the City" writer) and Elizabeth Chandler ("A Little Princess") take their source material, the 1958 Sandra Dee movie "The Reluctant Debutante," and update it with spunk and wit. The movie pokes fun at British stuffiness and class-consciousness. Director Dennie Gordon ("Joe Dirt") balances Bynes' physical comedy with a fairy-tale lightness. The British cast is well-chosen, from veteran performers like Pryce and Eileen Atkins (as Henry's eccentric mum) to newcomer Oliver James as Daphne's boyfriend. Firth, who exudes the same repressed hunkiness he did in "Bridget Jones' Diary," is a sympathetic father figure and sparks nicely with Preston, who could make a niche for herself with the sort of sensuous earth-mama roles Susan Sarandon used to get a decade ago. But "What a Girl Wants" ultimately is all about the girl, and Bynes is the right girl for it. Bynes -- who starred on her own sketch-comedy series on Nickelodeon and co-starred in "Big Fat Liar" -- possesses a rare combination of goofy charm, great comedic timing and a lithe beauty that somehow never detracts from her girl-next-door appeal. Watching Bynes in "What a Girl Wants" is to see a star blossom beautifully.

Or maybe Cajun is more your style, Maria?;-) From the New Orleans Times-Picayune Bynes' heart belongs to daddy in 'Debutante' remake By Michael H. Kleinschrodt Movie critic Although "What a Girl Wants" scores no points for originality, it is a charming and wholesome film that can be enjoyed by the entire family. The movie, directed by Dennie Gordon ("The Adventures of Joe Dirt"), is a loose remake of 1958's "The Reluctant Debutante" as filtered through 2001's "The Princess Diaries." Taking the Sandra Dee/Anne Hathaway role is television star Amanda Bynes, who last appeared on the big screen in "Big Fat Liar." Bynes plays 17-year-old Daphne Reynolds, who has everything a New York girl could want -- except a father. Mom Libby (Kelly Preston) has never made a secret of Daphne's father's identity: Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), a British lord she impulsively married in a Bedouin ceremony. They were separated before Daphne even was born. One day, Daphne jets off to London to attempt to forge a relationship with her father. Her arrival comes as more of a surprise than she expects. Henry, in the midst of an important election, is thrown into shock by the revelation that he has a daughter, as are Henry's social-climbing fiancee, Glynnis Payne (Anna Chancellor), and her spoiled daughter, Clarissa (Christina Cole). The only understanding Daphne finds in London comes from her kindly grandmother, Jocelyn Dashwood (Eileen Atkins), and hunky musician Ian Wallace (Oliver James). As Daphne struggles to fit into her father's world, Glynnis and Clarissa do everything they can to sabotage her. The only people who possibly could doubt Daphne's eventual triumph are people who have never seen a movie before in their lives. Bynes is a fresh-faced presence in the lead, but she doesn't always possess the emotional heft some of her scenes require. The screenplay also makes her character a pratfall-prone klutz, which just isn't funny. Preston, currently appearing in "View From the Top," is stuck with the least developed role and seems stranded by the screenplay. Chancellor is fine as the wicked future stepmother, but it's a role the star of "Crush" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral" could play in her sleep. The extent to which this movie works is a credit primarily to Firth and Atkins. Firth ("The Importance of Being Earnest") is a delight as the aristocrat struggling to rein in his wild side and as the bumbling father trying to figure out the meaning of his new role. Atkins ("Gosford Park") also shines as the plainspoken grande dame who no longer cares to censor her thoughts. Jocelyn's love of the freespirited Daphne is clear even as Atkins delivers lines such as "No hugging, dear. We're British. British people show affection only to dogs and to horses." It's an old joke, but Atkins pulls it off. Less charming is Daphne's and Libby's habit of expressing their love for each other in terms of various candies. The most groan-inducing line is when Daphne tells Libby, "I love you a million red M&Ms." The line isn't as sweet as it might first appear considering that Libby would have grown up during the time that production of red M&Ms was suspended because an unrelated red dye was found to cause cancer. Like countless movies before it, "What a Girl Wants" features the obligatory scene of the stuffy party just waiting to be enlivened by the heroine's superior taste in music. Still, it's a flaw audiences probably will overlook as they fall hook, line and sinker for the movie's heartfelt charms. _________________________ WHAT A GIRL WANTS (STAR)(STAR)(STAR) Plot: An American teen jets off to London to meet her father, a British noble who doesn't know she exists. What works: Colin Firth brings much charm to a heartfelt tale safe for the whole family. What doesn't: There's nothing here audiences haven't seen before.

(Mari) Maria, how do you feel about becoming a Mormon?: Or maybe Cajun is more your style, Maria?;-) Wow! I like em both! But I guess I won't be the first gumbo loving, Pacific surfing, Salt Lake floating, bi-faith, commuting between four cities and goes to confession all for love of ODB fan...;-))

From TV Guide (just posting the salient parts);-) The happy ending is a foregone conclusion, but what could have easily have been a carbon copy of THE PRINCESS DIARIES (2001) benefits from the efforts of its strong cast. Bynes is a charmer who adeptly straddles the line between romantic heroine and physical comedienne, while Firth is extremely enjoyable as a befuddled father trying to balance his prim and proper life with his spirited teenager's influence. Not everyone could have pulled off the scene in which, clad in leather pants and a muscle tee, he cuts loose in front of a mirror to the strains of "Rock 'n' Roll Hoochie Coo."

Thanks for all the reviews ladies. Enjoy the movie.

A second baby Firth is on the way. From Movie City News, some very interesting stuff on the marketing, including why CF isn't on the posters: The brief biography included on the What a Girl Wants website credits Dennie Gordon with being one of the most versatile directors working in Hollywood. The anonymous author of the bio goes on to say the Minnesota native is "known for her craftsmanship, as well as her cajones." Unusual, but it beats having a reputation for bringing in your pictures late and over-budget. What a Girl Wants is that rare bird in Hollywood, a romantic fairy tale that should play every bit as well with mothers, as it does with their teenage daughters. Although posters for the Warner Bros. release feature only 17-year-old Amanda Bynes, What a Girl Wants also stars a lovelorn Kelly Preston and British hunk Colin Firth. (Earlier this week, reporters noticed that one-sheets no longer showed Bynes flashing the peace sign, while posing in front of a pair of beefeasters. The gesture was removed so no one would think the movie was trying to make a political statement.) Bynes plays the energetic and free-spirited Daphne, an 18-year-old New Yorker who travels to England in search of her father (Firth). Until Daphne arrives on the scene, the wealthy aristocrat is unaware he fathered a child with the hippie-dippie American musician (Preston) he traveled with in Morocco 17 years before. Nor is Lord Henry aware of the subterfuge that caused their relationship to evaporate before the girl was born. Although Bynes' name won't be familiar to most adults, the newly 17-year-old actress is hugely popular among teenagers who have watched her grow up on Nickelodeon's All That and The Amanda Show, as well as the WB's What I Like About You. The Thousand Oaks native can also be seen alongside Frankie Muniz in Big Fat Liar. Dawn Taubin, Warner Bros. president of domestic marketing, was also interviewed for this article. MOVIE CITY NEWS: Is it true that you're known around Hollywood for your "cojones"? DENNIE GORDON: Some of the actors I've worked with say I direct more like a man than a woman. I take it as a compliment. MCN: It seems as if you're walking a tightrope in the marketing campaign for What a Girl Wants. Amanda's a big star among teenagers, but you want adults to know the fairy tale aspect of the film will appeal to them, too. DG: When I took this on, the story was very much directed at a teen audience. As a movie-going mother, though, I just couldn't bear the thought of waking up every morning to go the set, and pour my heart and soul into it, unless we could make it a fairy tale for all ages. I wanted to make something smart, witty and fun, so parents could enjoy the movie, too. I liked the idea of the love triangle. MCN: Based on the posters and billboards, I didn't really expect to see a movie people my age could sit through. DG: Everyone who went to see it in the test screenings was so surprised, because it's Amanda on the poster, and they thought they were going to see a teen comedy. It became this conundrum for marketing. Early on, they realized they had this "four-quadrant" movie. That's a big deal for them, and it happens once in a blue moon. MCN: OK, I give up. Is a four-quadrant movie like a four-bagger in baseball? DG: We have the Amanda audience - the teen and pre-teen girls -- already. The tracking is off-the-charts in terms of their awareness of the movie, and desire to see it on the first weekend. The second key quadrant is made up of the same adult women who are attracted to movies like "Bridget Jones," and we hope they'll drag their husbands or boyfriends to see it. Or, fathers might agree to see it with their teenage daughters. Teen girls might have to drag their boyfriends along, but we're hoping the boys will come on their own to see Amanda. My 14-year-old son thinks she is really hot. MCN: She has a terrific comic sensibility. DG: Amanda's huge with girls because they think she could be their best friend or the girl next door. She isn't so beautiful she intimidates them, like other young actresses. She's so real and charming on screen, they really connect with her. They think they actually could be her. DAWN TAUBIN: One of the segments we're targeting in our television campaign is pre-teen girls. They're attracted to the physical comedy, and are very aware of Amanda. The older girls, and tweens, enjoy watching Daphne go out on her own for the first time � experiencing romance for the first time � the sense of empowerment. The ads with Colin Firth and Kelly Preston are designed to attract moms. We'll use testimonials and reviews to the get the word out. It's easier to make our point in television commercials than in print ads, and that's why Amanda is prominent in the print ads. MCN: Is Amanda known across the pond? DG: Not yet. We were shooting in London, and the crew kept asking me who Amanda was. I said, "She's huge in America, trust me." One day, we were shooting on the Millennium Bridge, which leads to the new Tate Gallery, when two busloads of students from the United States recognized her. They started going nuts, and we had to delay the scene to clear the entrances to the bridge. MCN: You gave Daphne a cute British boyfriend ... a musician, like her mom. Somehow, though, I get the impression teenage girls might be every bit as taken by Colin Firth as their mothers or older sisters. DG: That's probably why you don't see Colin on the posters, with Amanda. They couldn't find a way to put him on the posters and not have it look like a movie about a May-December romance. It's very difficult to communicate the father-daughter thing when you have a teenager in a sexy T-shirt and a guy who looks like Colin, who's only 42, standing in the background. It's a difficult message to convey ... although I desperately wanted to put him and Kelly on the posters, too. MCN: It didn't help matters any when Colin decided not to come here to join in the publicity campaign. DG: He's doing some satellite interviews, but thought it better to stay at home with his wife, who is six months pregnant. The war affected everyone's travel plans, as well. The awareness on the part of moms and other adult women will grow the closer we get to the opening day. After that, the ads will feature testimonials from audience members, and, we hope, the word-of-mouth will increase as moms talk to other moms. That's why I wanted to get Colin Firth on board for this picture, even before the project was green-lit. I just knew he'd bring this integrity and principle to the part, as well as a smoldering sexuality. MCN: Is it more expensive to market to several audiences at once? DT: Not really. We're using targeted advertising. You'll find different creative spots running in different timeslots. The messages don't compete with each other. They're just slightly altered for the different audiences. MCN: Did extensive coverage of the war in Iraq negatively impact your television campaign? DT: The situation was very fluid, and we kept a close eye on the coverage. But, the cable channels that girls watch haven't really been hit with pre-emptions. The WB delivers young women in strong number, and it didn't have a lot of pre-emptions. We had always planned on having sneaks this past weekend, so we could build word-of-mouth among the mom's. MCN: Forgive me, again, but which character did Colin play in "Bridget Jones"? DG: Mark Darcy. Colin has this wonderfully wry sense of humor, and I find him to be more delicious than Hugh Grant. Women in my age group get weak in the knees when his name comes up. He's so sexy and interesting to us ... in 'Bridget Jones,' all the way back to Pride and Prejudice. I just figured we had to have Colin, and he'd be able to draw women to the movie. MCN: They like that sort of thing, do they? DG: Yes, very much so. Colin added to the sophistication of the humor. During the sneaks in the malls, a lot of the droll British humor went right over the heads of the younger audiences. Last night, at the premiere, it was a whole different experience. They really got it, and it made my heart just leap. I'm hoping they see it as a Notting Hill or Four Weddings and a Funeral. A movie parents could go to with their kids. MCN: I'm trying to picture in my head hundreds of mothers and daughters, sitting together in the same darkened theater, lusting after a pair of Brits ... or, worse, the same one. Most of the time girls of that age aren't even speaking to their moms. DG: When I was that age, my mother and I communicated by writing notes. I only have boys, so there's a lot of noise in our house, and no one picks up a sock. Girls are very difficult. I only know this because I am one. MCN: The parallel storylines play like twin fairy tales. DG: Oddly enough, for too many kids, it's very much a fantasy to embark on a journey to find their father ... and to rekindle a fantastic lover affair between their parents, which we also do. More than 25 percent of all kids today come from split parents. I wanted to have that kind of plausibility. It was really important for me to create something parents would enjoy as much as their kids. MCN: Sounds like you're trying to capture some of the same lightning as My Big Fat Greek Wedding. DG: I love it when that sort of groundswell of public opinion causes things to get shaken up in Hollywood. And, I think studio heads are the last people to recognize why these things happen. They're still scratching their heads about "Greek Wedding." They think there's this great, untapped niche market of Greeks. I kid you not. They're trying to come up with all these Greek projects. MCN: Among the many places you've promoted the film, the craziest - to me, anyway - was Ain't It Cool News. How do you sell a date movie to guys whose concept of the perfect woman is Queen Padm� Amidala, in Star Wars. DG: Actually, I think they're big fans of the movie, and they did a director's profile of me. They're opinion makers and I wanted to make friends with them. They snuck into a preview and trashed my first movie, an Adam Sandler-produced comedy, Joe Dirt.They hurt us badly on the Internet long before the movie was even released. So, maybe I wanted to neutralize them.

Looks like Connie Ogle (from Miami Herald) did some 'ogeling' at Colin when she did a story about the making of TIOBE in England last year. She sounds like a definite fan ;-). (Thanks also for all the reviews all, for your great DG notes Dorine, and those pics Karen.) What a girl wants: mom and dad -- and a lot of wholesome fantasy Connie Ogle Miami Herald Published: Friday, April 4, 2003 What a Girl Wants is exactly what a girl -- specifically a dreamy middle-school girl -- wants. It's a cheery, impossible fantasy in which the bright, resourceful but completely nonthreatening heroine has a cool, gorgeous, ex-hippie singer mom who doesn't seem to object to tattoos; a rich, gorgeous, ex-hippie politician father; access to his extensive family estate and connections, and an adorable British singer boyfriend who looks like a baby Keanu Reeves and rides a motorcycle. In a wholesome, nonthreatening way, of course. It also has a reasonably likable star in Nickelodeon's Amanda Bynes, a teen-friendly message that won't appall parents -- be true to yourself -- and, for mothers weary of the boring grown-ups in Crossroads and A Walk to Remember, Colin Firth, who may look like a dad to the kids but will always be Pride and Prejudice's Mr. Darcy to the rest of us. Firth is only one member of the high-pedigree cast; others, such as Eileen Atkins and Jonathan Pryce, also lend the film a touch of respectability. Inspired by 1958's The Reluctant Debutante and bearing a whopping debt to Cinderella and The Princess Diaries, What a Girl Wants tells the story of 17-year-old Daphne (Bynes), who wants to meet her high-profile father in England. Her mom (Kelly Preston) has tried to protect Daphne from his severe and snooty family, but Daphne takes off across the sea anyway. Don't ask where the waitress daughter of a wedding singer got the money for the Virgin Atlantic ticket. It would be unseemly. Daphne discovers Lord Henry Dashwood (Firth) is busy running for Parliament, and, worse, he comes complete with a wicked stepmother-to-be (Anna Chancellor, doomed to lose Firth's affection yet again the way she did in Pride and Prejudice) as well as an even more wicked stepsister (Christina Cole). Henry does, however, accept Daphne into his home, where she proceeds to disrupt stuffy British events because she is, after all, an American. That means she is madcap and irrepressible while all around her turn up their noses, at least until they're bewitched by her charm and dance moves. (It should be noted that I will scream aloud at the next movie in which uptight people dancing is the stuff of high comedy.) Daphne does try to change into the perfect daughter, much to the dismay of her singer suitor Ian (pin up-to-be Oliver James), but eventually realizes she must be herself. This, like everything else in the movie, is not unexpected. But What a Girl Wants is a fairy tale, after all, and by now we know what that means. The bad are punished, good triumphs and The Clash's London Calling blares on the soundtrack. Daphne makes a designer original out of a truly hideous dress armed only with a pair of scissors, and Dad loosens up enough to try on a pair of his old leather pants. That's Colin Firth in leather pants. Now talk about a fantasy.

(Mari)A second baby Firth is on the way. This makes me irrationally happy:-))... Do you think this was a "blurt" on Dennie's part?...oops...

He's doing some satellite interviews, but thought it better to stay at home with his wife, who is six months pregnant. The war affected everyone's travel plans, as well. How great is this??? And now we have the real reason he isn't doing the junket! Congratulations to ODB and LD! A girl, this time (maybe?)!! (Maria) This makes me irrationally happy:-))... Do you think this was a "blurt" on Dennie's part?...oops... I'm irrationally happy too Maria! I do wonder about Dennie mentioning this....it appears that ODB is very private about such matters and as far as I know, this is the first time it has been mentioned....hope this is okay and the press leaves him and his family alone. A June or July baby if Dennie is speaking the truth! Yeah!!!

(Maria) This makes me irrationally happy:-))... (Tress)I'm irrationally happy too *It shows an affection for ODB which is very appealing.* I'm with you girls!

Sorry about the misunderstanding;-) ...Just wantet to make at least *one* remark, that hadn't been made before. I just can't keep up with you clever girls;-) Nono Annette, you are so clever at getting me in a Firth frame of mind on those dismal workday mornings when you ask for favorite..whatevers and when you have already done some fun *googling* to share with us!

Mari, wonderful find! A good explanation of the poster, although I still don't like the photo used. And a new baby! I'm already thinking of names. Thanks for all the reviews. I'll try to type out the 2 reviews from my local papers, but I'm honestly embarrassed that one review became an anti-American monologue. That's what happens when a pompous theatre critic is sent to review a teen movie. Why can't these people relax?! Girls are very difficult. I only know this because I am one. LOL! Would make a great bumpersticker :-)

Thanks for all the reviews ladies. I was hoping they'd have another child. What good news this is.

Quickie- Colin attended the opening night of Kirstin Scott Thomas' new play. I've put the info up at: http://www.firth.com/p_eye6.html

Thanks Karen. That's definitely one of the best pics of the bunch. Love the untucked look. LD must be away. ;-)

LOL, Dorine. Agree it's one of the best pics. Thank you for the picture, Karen. Information about TIOBE dvd-release: According to Blackstar the R2 is released on July 21. (amazon still has it for September) Not current movie, but there is also a SIL superdvd (also R2) on the way (released sometime April)

A few more DG film class notes ... Can't believe I forgot to put this one as it's the most interesting to me.... They were talking about how some directors get attached to the songs on the temp soundtracks during editing/test screenings. She really had her heart set on using Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" during the BLP scene. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page and their kids saw it and liked it and gave her permission to use the song. But as it doesn't matter, of course, what singers/writers think unless they have the rights, it didn't matter if they gave permission. After the managers and publishers got done wrangling over it, it was going to cost $1 million, so WB passed. She said her husband thought it worked better with the current song. The falling chandelier scene cost $150,000.

(Me) Love the untucked look That's why I love the playground scene so much...the untucked shirt, rolled up sleeves, and barefeet. And great hair and looks, too. :-P Same with that last Moroccan scene with him on that camel in that awesome (untucked ;-)) shirt.